On 14 October Catalonia’s National Police units raided two homes in Sabadell, Barcelona province, arresting four people accused of masterminding a scheme that moved Dominican migrants into the European Union under falsified Colombian identities. The investigation began in late 2025 after airport officers spotted an unusual pattern of Dominicans presenting newly issued Colombian passports that exempt holders from Schengen visa requirements. Detectives, working with AMERIPOL and authorities in Colombia and Peru, uncovered a route in which migrants first flew to Bogotá or Lima, obtained Colombian civil-registry papers with the help of corrupt officials or forged witnesses, and then secured authentic passports. From South America they booked flights—often via Brazil—to Paris, Madrid or Barcelona, blending in with legitimate Colombian tourists. During yesterday’s searches police seized 3.7 kg of cocaine, €8,700 in cash and dozens of blank civil-registry forms, suggesting the network also financed itself through drug trafficking. The alleged ringleader, a 38-year-old Dominican-Spanish dual resident, faces charges of belonging to a criminal organisation, human-smuggling and document falsification. Authorities are analysing seized phones to identify migrants already moved and any European employers who may have unknowingly—or knowingly—hired them. For HR and mobility teams this case is a reminder that genuine-looking passports can still be fraudulently obtained. Companies should reinforce right-to-work compliance checks and consider using digital identity-verification tools that cross-reference biometric data with international watch lists. The operation also signals closer police cooperation across the Atlantic, raising the likelihood of further audits and workplace inspections involving Latin-American staff in Spain.
Source: Ministerio del Interior
