LOC12:42
09:42 GMT
BRUSSELS, Aug 3 (KUNA) -- The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (EUROPOL) announced Thursday that the Spanish police, with support from the UK's police and Europol, have dismantled an international criminal network involved in smuggling Iranian nationals into the UK on commercial flights.
The network operated from the city of Malaga in southern Spain using it as a transit point. The organisation charged each migrant around EUR 25,000 euro (USD 29,000) for supplying fake Spanish passports, travel documents, transfers to and accommodation in their final destinations.
In total, 101 individuals were arrested. 14 members of the criminal group were arrested in Malaga, as well as another 42 individuals accused of selling their Spanish documents to the members of the organisation for prices ranging from EUR 500 (USD 592) to EUr 3,000 (USD 3,554).
Another 44 individuals of Iranian nationality were intercepted at different European airports carrying forged passports.
The leader of the criminal group was arrested by the Metropolitan Police at London's Heathrow airport, after a European Arrest Warrant was issued.
The investigation began a year ago, after seven Iranians were caught trying to catch a flight from Hamburg, Germany to the United Kingdom carrying forged and authentic passports, most of them Spanish, said Europol which is based in the Dutch city of the Hague. (end)
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