In recent weeks, Girona Airport has become the focus of multiple arrests related to passport fraud, with six individuals caught using falsified documents in three separate incidents.
The surge in arrests highlights the increased vigilance of National Police officers at this Spanish airport, which is part of the Schengen area.
This requires passengers traveling outside the Schengen zone to undergo strict document control procedures.
The first incident occurred on September 20, when two passengers attempting to board a flight to Shannon, Ireland, were arrested after officers discovered their passports had been tampered with.
One was carrying a Taiwanese passport, and the other had a Japanese passport, yet both passengers were actually Chinese nationals.
The forged documents raised suspicions during routine checks, leading to their immediate detention and the initiation of expulsion proceedings.
Just two weeks later, on October 4, two more passengers trying to fly to Dublin were caught with stolen Belgian and French passports.
The National Police quickly realized the photos did not match the individuals, who were later identified as Iraqi nationals. Neither spoke the languages associated with their supposed identities, further confirming the forgery. These individuals were also arrested and face expulsion under the Foreigners Act.
The final case took place on October 12, when two more Chinese nationals attempted to board a flight to Ireland with falsified Japanese passports. Officers swiftly detected the tampered documents and arrested the passengers for public document falsification.
Similar to the previous arrests, these individuals were informed of pending expulsion from all Schengen countries.
Girona Airport’s document control system, supported by training programs for airline staff, has been pivotal in identifying these forged passports.
The National Police regularly offer ‘document copy’ courses to help airport workers detect counterfeit identity documents with minimal knowledge.
This heightened scrutiny has been instrumental in uncovering these recent passport forgery attempts, showcasing the effectiveness of the airport’s security measures.
