French police investigate fake residency cards crime ring
French police are investigating an illegal underground operation of over a dozen people who helped to falsify documents in order to access French cartes de séjour, at a cost of €10,000 to €18,000 per person.
So far, French investigators have pinpointed a network of at least 13 people, including préfecture employees, who were involved in falsifying documents over a two-year period.
At least 40 people had been identified for having paid for the falsified documents - to the tune of €10,000 to €18,000 per person - but Le Parisien reported that investigators suspect several many more clients, particularly those from north African countries, were likely implicated.
The scheme involved creating fake identity documents proving Czech, Slovenian, Lithuanian, Croatian, Italian or Polish nationality in Turkey and then sending them to France.
The goal was to pretend the client was an EU citizen, in order to acquire a 'carte de séjour européen'. Even though this card is not required for EU nationals, it is still available upon request. The carte, which confers the right to live and work in France, can be renewed every five years and can also be used when applying for French citizenship.
A source close to the case told Le Parisien that the scheme was successful for so long because of authorities are seeking to digitise more procedures. As the application for the card is made online, préfecture workers were not physically touching the original documents.
“If they had had the originals in hand, they would have immediately understood that it was a hoax because the paper in the false civil status documents was much too thick,” the source told Le Parisien.
Préfecture employees in Nanterre, Bobigny and the sub-prefecture of Argenteuil are being investigated for having facilitated the appointments. One, a 22-year-old civil servant allegedly was paid €20,000 to scan papers without asking any questions.
In June, eight people were arrested, but as of November, two people involved in the operation, including the head of the group, had fled the country.
Police searches in the Paris region uncovered a stash of laser printers, computers, ink pads, blank plastic cards, in addition to genuine and forged identity documents, plus €110,000 in cash, according to TF1 Info.
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So far, French investigators have pinpointed a network of at least 13 people, including préfecture employees, who were involved in falsifying documents over a two-year period.
At least 40 people had been identified for having paid for the falsified documents - to the tune of €10,000 to €18,000 per person - but Le Parisien reported that investigators suspect several many more clients, particularly those from north African countries, were likely implicated.
The scheme involved creating fake identity documents proving Czech, Slovenian, Lithuanian, Croatian, Italian or Polish nationality in Turkey and then sending them to France.
The goal was to pretend the client was an EU citizen, in order to acquire a 'carte de séjour européen'. Even though this card is not required for EU nationals, it is still available upon request. The carte, which confers the right to live and work in France, can be renewed every five years and can also be used when applying for French citizenship.
A source close to the case told Le Parisien that the scheme was successful for so long because of authorities are seeking to digitise more procedures. As the application for the card is made online, préfecture workers were not physically touching the original documents.
“If they had had the originals in hand, they would have immediately understood that it was a hoax because the paper in the false civil status documents was much too thick,” the source told Le Parisien.
Préfecture employees in Nanterre, Bobigny and the sub-prefecture of Argenteuil are being investigated for having facilitated the appointments. One, a 22-year-old civil servant allegedly was paid €20,000 to scan papers without asking any questions.
In June, eight people were arrested, but as of November, two people involved in the operation, including the head of the group, had fled the country.
Police searches in the Paris region uncovered a stash of laser printers, computers, ink pads, blank plastic cards, in addition to genuine and forged identity documents, plus €110,000 in cash, according to TF1 Info.
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