National Police officials report the detention of 29 individuals in connection with irregular entries of Bolivian nationals into Spain. The allegations center on a scheme in which authentic Spanish passports were allegedly issued to immigrants who bore strong physical resemblances, enabling them to travel under false identities through a method commonly described as the “look-alike” approach. These developments underscore concerns about document fraud and border-security challenges facing migratory control across Europe.
According to authorities, the detainees offered Spanish passports to Bolivian nationals with similar physical features in exchange for payment. The price ranged across a spectrum, with some transactions reportedly totaling between $1,000 and $10,000 USD. The operation appears to have been organized to exploit identity similarities and facilitate illegal entry, highlighting the financial scale of this illicit activity and the willingness of certain actors to leverage personal likeness for illicit gain.
Authorities disclosed that ten individuals were arrested for facilitating illegal immigration, with operations spanning Madrid, Granada, Murcia, and the Balearic Islands, as well as the Biscay region. Additional detentions occurred in other municipalities including Cuenca, Las Palmas, Navarra, Malaga, and Albacete. The geographic spread indicates a wider network rather than a single localized operation, suggesting coordinated actions across multiple jurisdictions.
Officials noted a rising trend in flights linked to Bolivian nationals, alongside perpetrators from Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil who allegedly sought to enter Spain by posing as the document holders they claimed to be. The cases have prompted closer scrutiny at key entry points and increased vigilance among border-control teams tasked with verifying identity documents and travel credentials.
At the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, authorities denied entry to several individuals and directed them to hold in secure facilities while preparations were made to repatriate them on subsequent flights. In many instances, passport holders were advised to file theft or loss reports as part of the formal process, underscoring the procedural steps used to manage potential document misuse while maintaining order at the border.
Investigators indicated that individuals involved in the alleged conspiracy operated from diverse locations within Spanish territory, employing the look-alike method to facilitate illicit travel. The inquiry remains active, and further arrests cannot be ruled out as the investigation progresses and more evidence is gathered across affected areas.