Hundreds arrested in police operation against network that created fake driver's licenses

At least 300 people have been arrested by Catalan Mossos d'Esquadra police and Spain's National Police in the mass operation that began on Tuesday morning against a network that allegedly forged at least 1,845 driver's licenses.

The network used the database of the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT), the Spanish government department in charge of the road transport network, according to sources of the Catalan News Agency.

A Girona court is investigating the group for the crimes of criminal organization, bribery, money laundering, and forgery.

The mass operation began at 7:30 am on Tuesday with simultaneous entrances of the homes of the main suspects in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Calonge, Llagostera, Quart, Vic, and Girona.

According to sources close to the investigation, the top of the network is made up of about twenty people who took on different functions within the alleged criminal organization.

Among the arrested is a computer scientist who works for the DGT in Girona and who, according to the same sources, was in charge of using the databases to commit crimes.

Officers are searching the apartment as well as a vehicle that the detainee had parked on the premises. 

There are also other suspects who, according to the investigation, were tasked with finding willing buyers of false driver's licenses or to recover points lost for penalties, paying from €3,000-€15,000 for the service. The investigation identifies up to four levels of operation within the criminal network. 

The judicial investigation started last November and estimates that around 1,845 fraudulent cards were made. It is not ruled out that the investigation will be expanded and this figure will increase.

In addition to the leaders of the scheme, who are expected to go to court on Thursday, the operation also plans to arrest more than 800 people who paid for the cards.