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Authorities in Ghana have busted a fake US embassy in the capital,
Accra, run by a criminal network that for a decade issued illegally
obtained authentic visas, the US State Department has said.
Accra, run by a criminal network that for a decade issued illegally
obtained authentic visas, the US State Department has said.
Until it was shut down this summer, the sham embassy was housed in a
run-down, pink two-storey building with a corrugated iron roof and flew a
US flag outside. Inside hung a portrait of President Barack Obama.
run-down, pink two-storey building with a corrugated iron roof and flew a
US flag outside. Inside hung a portrait of President Barack Obama.
Investigations revealed that Turkish citizens, who spoke English and Dutch, posed as consular
officers and staffed the operation. Investigations also uncovered a fake
Dutch embassy, the State Department said.
The crime ring issued fraudulently obtained but legitimate US visas
and false identification documents, including birth certificates at a
cost of $6,000 each, the statement said.
and false identification documents, including birth certificates at a
cost of $6,000 each, the statement said.
During raids that led to a number of arrests, authorities also seized
authentic and counterfeit Indian, South African and Schengen Zone visas
and 150 passports from 10 different countries along with a laptop and
smart phones.
authentic and counterfeit Indian, South African and Schengen Zone visas
and 150 passports from 10 different countries along with a laptop and
smart phones.
The statement did not say how the gang obtained the authentic visas.
And the State Department did not say how many people were believed to
have illegally entered the United States and other countries using visas
issued by the crime ring, which used bribery to operate unhindered.
And the State Department did not say how many people were believed to
have illegally entered the United States and other countries using visas
issued by the crime ring, which used bribery to operate unhindered.
There was no immediate comment from Ghana’s Criminal Investigations Division. And Officials in the Netherlands were also not immediately reachable for comment on Sunday.
Source: AlJazeera
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