The Spanish National Police, along with Ameripol, Interpol, and Bolivian law enforcement, have collaborated in the arrest of five individuals in Bolivia who were allegedly involved in providing fraudulent visas to 69 Bolivian citizens. These individuals had intended to enter the European Union last April via cruise ship.
The MSC Armonia, which had travelled from Brazil, became stranded at Barcelona’s port after Spanish authorities discovered that 69 Bolivian passengers were attempting to enter the Schengen Area using fake visas. Among them were 55 adults and 14 children.
Authorities denied entry to all but four passengers, with the remaining 65 being deported by plane days after their arrival. The four individuals permitted to stay in Spain were three siblings – two of whom were minors – and the daughter of the eldest sibling. They were allowed to remain due to family ties in Spain, as their parents live in Catalonia, and one of them holds Spanish citizenship.
Upon the cruise ship’s arrival in Barcelona on 2 April last year, passengers were prohibited from disembarking due to their visas being deemed invalid. Some sought asylum, but their requests were denied. ALSO READ: Spain finally deports Bolivians whose false visas delayed cruise ship in Barcelona.
Investigators looking into the fraudulent visas traced them back to five travel agencies suspected of orchestrating the scheme. A coordinated operation between law enforcement agencies led to the identification of key figures within these agencies, resulting in the arrest of five individuals in Bolivia on charges related to the production and distribution of fake visas.
At the time of the incident, Bolivia’s foreign ministry had urged MSC to take immediate action, saying that the company was responsible for ensuring all passengers had valid visas before allowing them to board.
However, MSC stated that, prior to departure, it had appeared that all passengers had the necessary travel documents.
‘We have been informed by authorities that their visas are not valid to enter the Schengen Area,’ the company then said in a statement in April 2024. Given the circumstances, the affected passengers ‘were not able to disembark in Barcelona, which was their final destination’.
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