Slovenia Presses Charges Against 5 Border Police Officers Over Illegal Passport Stamping Scandal
These charges come two years after these police officers were arrested for stamping passports of non-European Union nationals to permit them to illegally stay in the Schengen Area beyond the permitted period regulated by law, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.
Back in 2022, the Slovenian Ministry of Interior said that over 50 police officers carried out several investigative activities in connection to the abuse of short-term stay in the Schengen Area countries.
In that operation, the Slovenian police monitored as well as searched several houses, including in Austria. This particular operation, which took place in 2020, led to the discovery of a ring that enabled citizens of third countries to illegally stay in the Schengen Area in return for money.
“On the basis of internal integrity measures and own activity, the police uncovered an international criminal organisation that enabled third-country nationals to stay in the Schengen Area irregularly and against payment,” the Slovenian Ministry said back then.
At that time, the police revealed that this international ring included five police officers who worked at the Gruškovje and Zavr? border crossing points. According to the Ministry, the five police officers against which charges were pressed accepted bribes to stamp the passport of those who failed to leave the Schengen Area after staying for over 90 days.
Nonetheless, the authorities did not reveal the amount of money the border police officers received. Still, it is believed that they accepted around €90,000. This amount was found during the house searches. In addition, the police also found 19 passports of third-country nationals.
“They enabled third-country nationals uninterrupted stay in the Schengen Area contrary to the Schengen regulations, which limit the stay to 90 days in any 180-day period. After the expiry of this period, a person’s stay in the Schengen Area is illegal,” the Ministry explained in 2020.
Additionally, back then, it was revealed that the illegally stamped passports were owned by citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Macedonia. It was believed that the nationals of these countries were engaged in undeclared work in EU countries.
The five border police officers are now to face charges. However, the Slovenia authorities are yet to reveal additional information on the matter.
Similar cases have been reported in other countries too. Just recently, the Spanish National Police arrested around 90 people. These individuals distributed counterfeited documents to help irregular immigration into the country.