More than 700 Italians have suffered a blow after paying to acquire the nationality of a country that does not actually exist. An operation, which dismantled the gang responsible for creating the coup, arrested 12 people this Friday and investigates another 30 on suspicion of creating the fictitious country called “Theocratic Antarctic State of San Giorgio”. They are accused of conspiracy, fraud, fabrication and possession of valid false documents, expatriation and money laundering.
With promises of a nation with less taxes, the group offered nationality to anyone who paid an amount ranging between 200 and 1,000 euros. To convince interested parties of the existence of the fictional country, the suspects said that the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 (a document signed that year on the possession of the continent) guaranteed the existence of the island, with “sovereignty and autonomous privileges”.
+ Exclusive: BlueBenx reveals action by scammers that stopped withdrawals and caused a 99% loss in the value of platform tokens
Called “The island that does not exist”, the operation, carried out by the police in Catanzaro, in the region of Calabria, southern Italy, began in April 2021, after the registration of an alleged building as the diplomatic headquarters of the fictitious state. Since then, the suspects have traded more than 700 “citizenships” in the country, raising more than 400,000 euros.
According to the newspaper La Repubblica, to give credibility to the deal with interested parties, the members of the criminal group would have created a series of “proofs” of the existence of institutions, such as the head of state, government, ministers, Court of Justice, Supreme Court, Delegations Territories, an official journal, websites and even the issuance of identity documents.
A Facebook profile, with photos of the country’s documents and regulations, was created to increase the credibility of the business. In it, files were shared, in an attempt to convince interested parties, offering benefits that included the possibility of receiving funding for projects and benefiting from a “leaner bureaucracy” for the opening of new companies, in addition to the chance to use State documents. to move freely in Italy and other countries.
Another benefit of acquiring the nationality of the “Antarctic State” would be the “sale of land” on the continent, accompanied by the respective title of nobility. It was still offered to obtain an exemption document for vaccines, such as Covid-19.
#Italians #suffer #blow #buy #nationality #country #doesnt #exist