National Police have arrested in Alicante the suspected leader of a scheme dedicated to fraudulently facilitating family reunification applications using falsified documents. The operation resulted in eight arrests and the dismantling of a criminal group that operated mainly from the town of Gurb, in Barcelona.

The individual arrested in Alicante was attempting to hide after learning he was under investigation. Alongside him, officers arrested two other alleged members of the organization and five individuals seeking to bring their relatives from their home countries through this irregular procedure.

The investigation suggests the group offered foreign citizens legally residing in Spain the possibility of reuniting with their families by providing falsified residency registration forms and housing suitability reports not issued by municipal technicians.

The criminal group charged variable amounts depending on the financial capacity of each person interested in reuniting their family members. In some cases, the amounts reached up to 6,000 euros per family member included in the procedure.

The system involved simulating that the sponsoring individuals had a fixed and adequate residence to host their relatives. To achieve this, they signed fictitious rental contracts linked to a property in Gurb, for which they paid 550 euros per month as rent. Some individuals paid this amount for 12 months, despite never residing in the property.

To bolster the procedure's legal appearance, the organization provided interested parties with a supposed residency registration form and a housing suitability report. These documents indicated that the person was registered with the municipal registry and that the property met the conditions to house the family. However, the investigation determined these documents were false.

The operation, named Almena, has led to action against a network investigated for facilitating illegal immigration and document forgery. Police units from Vic and Alicante, along with municipal collaboration from Gurb, participated in the investigation.