2 Sentenced in UAE for Holding Fake Schengen Visas
The authorities revealed that apart from these two individuals who held forged Schengen visas, a third person was arrested, too, as he helped them carry out their plan of reaching the EU illegally, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.
As soon as the airport employees found out that the two individuals were holding forged Schengen visas, they informed the authorities, and the three individuals were referred to the Public Prosecution and then to the Criminal Court, Khaleej Times explains.
The same source notes that the two individuals denied that their visas were forged. They said to the employee checking their passports that they paid DH25,000 (almost €7,000) to obtain the two visas from an unknown person who told them to come to the UA and transfer power of attorney to him and then reach Europe.
Once the two individuals who had been arrested for holding forged Schengen visas arrived in UAE, they gave their passports to the unknown person and then received them with the visas one day before they were scheduled to leave for the EU.
As for the third arrested person, Khaleej Times said that he entered UAE on a tourist visa and was asked by someone else to receive the two individuals, rent accommodation for them, and take their passports. In addition, the third defendant said that he did not know of the forgery activity.
After the relevant authorities carried out the necessary investigation, they concluded that the three individuals participated in illegal activities and sentenced them to a month in prison. After the one-month period is over, they will be deported to their countries.
Schengen visa forging cases have been reported in other countries too. Earlier this month, the Moroccan authorities said that they had dismantled a network involved in the falsification of documents that are needed in order to obtain Schengen visas.
Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security said that the group used to forge different documents to facilitate the illegal movement of third-country nationals to the EU.
In this particular action, the Directorate arrested 20 individuals and, through an official statement, said that the network facilitated the obtaining of Schengen visas in return for money. Nonetheless, it did not disclose how much each person paid for a forged visa.
