Dominican migrant trafficking network dismantled in Sabadell, four arrested
Spanish National Police dismantled a gang in Sabadell that illegally smuggled Dominican migrants into Europe using fake Colombian passports.
Gang trafficking Dominican migrants to Europe dismantled in Sabadell
Spanish National Police dismantled a criminal organisation based in Sabadell, in the north-east of the country, that facilitated the irregular entry of Dominican migrants into the Schengen area. According to acento.com.do, the operation resulted in the arrest of four people, including the group's leader.
Those arrested coordinated the journeys, supplied fraudulent documentation and provided precise instructions to circumvent border controls in order to gain entry into European territory.
Colombian passports as entry point
The organisation's central method consisted of equipping migrants with Colombian passports, either false or issued fraudulently, to avoid the visa requirement imposed on Dominican citizens in the Schengen area.
The route started in the Dominican Republic and went through Colombia, Peru and Brazil, concluding with a flight headed mainly to France.
In some cases, migrants travelled first to Colombia, where legislation allows any adult to register with the Civil Registry before two witnesses declaring that they were born in that country. Through that mechanism they obtained a Colombian identity document and, subsequently, a passport that enabled them to travel to Europe as tourists without requiring a visa.
In other cases, the route went through Peru, where members of the organisation based in that country provided accommodation and the necessary documentation to evade border controls.
Investigation launched in November 2025
The investigation began in November 2025, after authorities detected Dominican citizens attempting to access Europe with fraudulently obtained Colombian passports.
During the investigation, carried out in collaboration with AMERIPOL (Americas Police Community), agents identified members of the network who were resident in Spain, and who have been arrested as part of this operation.
Source: Google News DO — Crime