Workers in the sector, from a temporary employment company, used falsified documentation or transferred by third parties, who charged for said transfer and contributed to Social Security without actually doing any work
Agents of the National Police proceeded to arrest fifteen people, all of them men of various nationalities: Nigeria, Ghana and Morocco, aged between 30 and 59 years of age, as alleged perpetrators of crimes of document falsification or usurpation of the civil status.
Investigators from the Police Headquarters of the Region of Murcia are aware that in a temporary employment company (ETT), located in the city of Orihuela (Alicante), several of its workers in agricultural work could be usurping the identity of other people or using false documentation. It is a situation of illicit employment that contravenes labor legislation and produces an obvious Social Security fraud. Thus, numerous efforts were initiated to fully clarify the facts, which culminated in a large police operation developed in an agricultural estate, located in Águilas, to which the bulk of the workers of the aforementioned ETT had moved.
Said inspection resulted in the identification of 34 workers, mostly foreigners, who entered the interior of the aforementioned agricultural exploitation on board two buses. During the identification process, 13 of the workers tried to pass themselves off as other people – who are in Spain in a legal situation – by presenting falsified documentation, especially residence and work permits. In addition to the truthful documentation presented, the investigators were able to verify that 3 workers were not the true owners.
After all these investigations, the agents proceeded to arrest 15 people, some for document falsification and others for usurpation of marital status. After taking their statement, they were all released while waiting to be summoned by the judicial authority. Efforts continue to be made in order to locate some of those investigated and the people who have given their documents to the detained workers.
These fraudulent behaviors cause clear economic damage to Social Security and benefit both the worker without a work permit/legal residence, and the worker who transfers/sells his documentation to a third party. The first accesses the labor market and other social rights; the second obtains an economic benefit previously agreed with the first and also obtains days of contributions without having come to work, and can also obtain future benefits for work not done. This is an investigation and inspection carried out by investigators from the Unit Against Illegal Immigration Networks and Falsified Documents –Ucrif– of the Immigration and Borders Provincial Brigade, belonging to the Police Headquarters of the Region of Murcia.