Spain arrests 69 for blocking appointments at immigration offices
The national Spanish police have arrested 69 people on suspicion of using a computer bot to book up all the available appointments needed to obtain foreign residency documents and carry out other official administrative tasks.
The national Spanish police announced on Friday, May 12th that they have arrested 69 people in different provinces throughout Spain, investigated another 25 and dismantled a network that blocked foreigners from obtaining a ‘cita previa’ or prior appointment.
The suspects have been accused of booking up all the available appointments through a computer bot to later resell them to foreigners, despite the fact that this process should be free.
Foreigners in Spain typically need these types of appointments in order to apply for a Foreign Identity Number (NIE ) or residency card such as a TIE or Identidad de Extranjero.
READ ALSO: How to get a 'cita previa' (appointment) in Spain when it seems impossible
It’s a recurring problem that foreigners in Spain are unable to get these appointments. Some people have to wait weeks or even months to get one to even start their administrative processes. Out of sheer frustration, they typically turn to companies that can guarantee an appointment for them for a fee.
A new phase of the investigation has culminated in arrests in Madrid, Albacete, Alicante, Almería, Badajoz, Barcelona, Vizcaya, Burgos, Cádiz, Córdoba, the Balearic Islands, Marbella, Murcia, Tarragona, Tenerife, Toledo and Valencia.
A further 25 people are being investigated in the provinces of Madrid and Cádiz. Those arrested are considered presumed responsible for the crimes, as well as belonging to a criminal organisation.
Police have revealed that the people in charge of the bots have been exchanging appointments for fees of between €30 and €200.
Coordinated by the Central Unit of Illegal Immigration Networks and Documentary Falsifications (UCRIF), the investigations were first carried out by the Provincial Immigration and Border Brigade of Valencia, which were looking into a technical report from the Central Cybercrime Unit of the General Commissariat of the Judicial Police.
From this report, it was possible to undertake a series of further investigations through Immigration Brigades related to the existing problems of foreigners in Spain being unable to obtain a ‘cita previa’.
Police discovered a criminal network that used a computer bot, which, through repetitive, predefined and automated tasks, booked up practically all the available appointments, which are essential to carry out many residency processes in Spain.
The bot made the system inaccessible to users, thus interrupting normal access to a free public service, which is provided by the national police themselves for carrying out immigration procedures.
The computer bot, developed by the criminal organisation, had the ability to avoid the security mechanisms installed on the website where online appointment requests are made.
According to the police, the leaders of the organisation instructed their intermediaries to use a VPN connection (virtual private network) to hide the real IP address and access an even greater number of appointments.
READ ALSO: 'Four months to get an appointment': Huge delays at Spain's Social Security
As part of the initial inquiry, police arrested the four main members of the organisation in Barcelona and Valencia.
The investigation also made it possible to locate a series of commercial contracts between intermediaries and the organisation providing the online bot services. The intermediaries were made up of lawyers, managers and other advisers.
In the second phase of the investigation in the provinces of Alicante and Cáceres, two people were identified as responsible for obtaining appointments through a company.
Lawyer Juan Gonzalo Ospina, who is defending several of those detained in the operation, pointed out that "police investigations point to a crime of computer hacking, to which blocking the rights of foreigners could be added".
He asked for "respect for those investigated" and stated that among them "you can find victims of the mafia itself".
Comments
See Also
The national Spanish police announced on Friday, May 12th that they have arrested 69 people in different provinces throughout Spain, investigated another 25 and dismantled a network that blocked foreigners from obtaining a ‘cita previa’ or prior appointment.
The suspects have been accused of booking up all the available appointments through a computer bot to later resell them to foreigners, despite the fact that this process should be free.
Foreigners in Spain typically need these types of appointments in order to apply for a Foreign Identity Number (NIE ) or residency card such as a TIE or Identidad de Extranjero.
READ ALSO: How to get a 'cita previa' (appointment) in Spain when it seems impossible
It’s a recurring problem that foreigners in Spain are unable to get these appointments. Some people have to wait weeks or even months to get one to even start their administrative processes. Out of sheer frustration, they typically turn to companies that can guarantee an appointment for them for a fee.
A new phase of the investigation has culminated in arrests in Madrid, Albacete, Alicante, Almería, Badajoz, Barcelona, Vizcaya, Burgos, Cádiz, Córdoba, the Balearic Islands, Marbella, Murcia, Tarragona, Tenerife, Toledo and Valencia.
A further 25 people are being investigated in the provinces of Madrid and Cádiz. Those arrested are considered presumed responsible for the crimes, as well as belonging to a criminal organisation.
Police have revealed that the people in charge of the bots have been exchanging appointments for fees of between €30 and €200.
Coordinated by the Central Unit of Illegal Immigration Networks and Documentary Falsifications (UCRIF), the investigations were first carried out by the Provincial Immigration and Border Brigade of Valencia, which were looking into a technical report from the Central Cybercrime Unit of the General Commissariat of the Judicial Police.
From this report, it was possible to undertake a series of further investigations through Immigration Brigades related to the existing problems of foreigners in Spain being unable to obtain a ‘cita previa’.
Police discovered a criminal network that used a computer bot, which, through repetitive, predefined and automated tasks, booked up practically all the available appointments, which are essential to carry out many residency processes in Spain.
The bot made the system inaccessible to users, thus interrupting normal access to a free public service, which is provided by the national police themselves for carrying out immigration procedures.
The computer bot, developed by the criminal organisation, had the ability to avoid the security mechanisms installed on the website where online appointment requests are made.
According to the police, the leaders of the organisation instructed their intermediaries to use a VPN connection (virtual private network) to hide the real IP address and access an even greater number of appointments.
READ ALSO: 'Four months to get an appointment': Huge delays at Spain's Social Security
As part of the initial inquiry, police arrested the four main members of the organisation in Barcelona and Valencia.
The investigation also made it possible to locate a series of commercial contracts between intermediaries and the organisation providing the online bot services. The intermediaries were made up of lawyers, managers and other advisers.
In the second phase of the investigation in the provinces of Alicante and Cáceres, two people were identified as responsible for obtaining appointments through a company.
Lawyer Juan Gonzalo Ospina, who is defending several of those detained in the operation, pointed out that "police investigations point to a crime of computer hacking, to which blocking the rights of foreigners could be added".
He asked for "respect for those investigated" and stated that among them "you can find victims of the mafia itself".
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.