Criminal network dismantled in Spain that facilitated irregular entry of Dominicans using false Colombian passports
Spanish National Police arrested four people in Sabadell, including the ring leader, for smuggling Dominican migrants into Europe with fraudulent Colombian documents.
Four arrested in Sabadell in network that used false Colombian passports to bring Dominicans to Europe
Spanish National Police dismantled a criminal organisation in Sabadell, in the north-east of the country, dedicated to facilitating the irregular entry of Dominican migrants into the Schengen area. Four people were arrested, including the group's leader, according to diariolibre.com.
Members of the network used Colombian passports—forged or issued fraudulently—to evade the visa requirement imposed on Dominican citizens at the European border. Those arrested coordinated the trips, delivered the false documentation and gave migrants precise instructions for overcoming border controls.
The investigation began in November 2025, when officers detected that Dominican citizens were attempting to access Europe with Colombian passports obtained irregularly.
Two main routes were identified during the inquiry. In the first, migrants travelled from the Dominican Republic to Colombia, where legislation allows any adult to present themselves before the Civil Registry accompanied by two witnesses and declare that they were born in that country. Through this procedure they obtained a Colombian identity card and, subsequently, a passport that enabled them to travel to Europe as tourists without needing a visa.
In the second route, migrants travelled to Peru, where members of the organisation based in that country provided them with accommodation and the documentation necessary to enter the Schengen area whilst evading immigration controls.
The operation was carried out in collaboration with AMERIPOL, the Police Community of the Americas, which made it possible to identify members of the network with residence in Spain who have now been arrested.
Source: Google News DO — Crime