Spain dismantles smuggling ring moving migrants to Canada with fake passports: police

Police in Spain say they have dismantled a crime ring that facilitated illegal entry into Canada and the U.K. using fake passports.

Spanish police say they have dismantled a criminal network that facilitated illegal entry into Canada and the U.K. using forged passports and travel documents.

In a press release by Spain’s National Police, the smuggling operation primarily targeted Yemeni nationals and involved more than 40 migration attempts.

The network allegedly charged each migrant up to $4,400.

According to Spanish authorities, the investigation began in September 2024 after the Canada Border Services Agency tipped off Spanish police about several Yemeni citizens attempting to travel to Canada from airports in Spain using fake documents. Eleven people, including the alleged ringleader, have been arrested across several areas in Spain.

Spanish police worked in collaboration with Europol and law enforcement agencies from countries including Switzerland, Finland, Austria, Germany, Ireland and the U.K.

Police said migrants would first obtain refugee documents in Greece then travel to a European airport. Once inside the international transit area, the migrants would allegedly receive a boarding pass and counterfeit passport from a member of the network.

Spanish police co-ordinated raids in Madrid and the northern towns of Santoña and Torrelavega.

During the searches, officers seized 10 mobile phones, a forged passport and documents related to flight bookings.

Spanish police say the investigation remains ongoing.