MANRESA, Spain.- For some Dominicans, the journey to Europe began with a document that did not belong to them. Spain’s National Police says it uncovered an organization in Manresa, Barcelona, allegedly dedicated to bringing citizens of the Dominican Republic into the Schengen Area using Colombian passports obtained fraudulently.
The operation ended with six people arrested. Among them was the person authorities identify as the network’s main operator in Spain, who was sent to pretrial detention while the judicial process continues.
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The investigation helped clarify nearly 30 cases of irregular immigration linked to the organization, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
The scheme took advantage of an important difference between the two countries. Dominican citizens need a visa for short stays in the Schengen Area, while Colombian citizens may enter without that requirement under certain conditions.
According to police, the organization obtained fraudulent Colombian documents that Dominicans then used to pass immigration controls and enter European territory while appearing to have a different nationality.
But the investigation revealed more than a clandestine migration route.
When agents searched locations linked to the operation, they found more than 8,000 marijuana plants. Officers also seized cash, mobile phones and vehicles, while nine bank accounts were blocked as part of the proceedings.
That discovery added another dimension to an investigation that began by tracking activity related to documents and the irregular entry of foreign nationals.
The National Police has not publicly released the names of the Dominicans who allegedly used those documents, nor has it established that all of the migrants were connected to the other activities under investigation. Individual criminal responsibility will have to be determined through the appropriate proceedings.
The case once again highlights a reality known along some Dominican migration routes to Europe: attempts to get around Spain’s visa requirement can leave migrants in the hands of organizations that charge for documents, identities or clandestine journeys.
In Manresa, that route ultimately ended in a police investigation. Six people were detained, dozens of trips came under suspicion and, according to Spanish authorities, a structure had turned the desire to reach Europe into an illegal business.
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