Latest news with #visaFraud
Zawya
02-07-2025
- Zawya
Kuwait shuts down Europe-bound visa scam, nabs criminal network
KUWAIT CITY - Kuwait's Ministry of Interior (MoI) announced on Tuesday the arrest of a criminal ring involved in forging data to manipulate visa applicants for European countries. In a press statement by the MoI, the operation was carried out by the General Department of Residency Investigations, led by the Citizenship and Residency Affairs Sector, as part of its ongoing efforts to combat organized crimes. The investigation, conducted in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, uncovered the criminal activities by the suspects, including altering professions, fabricating information, tampering with work permits, bank statements, and other documents to meet visa requirements set by several European embassies. Initial findings revealed the involvement of an Egyptian, who was operating a social media account from abroad to promote illegal immigration services, as the authority arrested several other members of the ring in Kuwait as well as seized their devices and documents. Authorities in Egypt were informed, as part of the international security cooperation, and procedures are underway to complete the investigations, the statement added. The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the country's security and enforcing the law, warning that it will not tolerate such criminal activities, as well as urged the public to adhere to all laws and regulations. (KUNA) Arab Times | © Copyright 2024, All Rights Reserved Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Arabian Business
01-07-2025
- Arabian Business
Kuwait busts visa fraud gang linked to European immigration scam
Kuwait's Ministry of Interior (MoI) has arrested a criminal ring accused of forging documents to manipulate visa applications for entry into several European countries. The MoI confirmed that the arrests were made by the General Department of Residency Investigations, operating under the Citizenship and Residency Affairs Sector, as part of a broader crackdown on organised crime. The investigation, conducted in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, uncovered serious violations, including: Falsified professions Forged work permits Tampered bank statements Fabricated documents aimed at meeting visa requirements imposed by European embassies Kuwait arrests visa scam gang Authorities identified an Egyptian national, believed to be operating the scam from abroad via social media, as one of the main figures behind the illegal immigration scheme. Several other suspects were arrested within Kuwait, and their devices and forged documents have been seized. As part of ongoing international security cooperation, Kuwaiti authorities have informed their counterparts in Egypt, where further investigations are underway. The Ministry of Interior reiterated its commitment to upholding national security and enforcing the law, warning that it will not tolerate such criminal activities. It also urged the public to respect the country's legal and immigration frameworks.
UAE Moments
25-06-2025
- Business
- UAE Moments
Dubai Busts Major Visa Scam: 21 People Convicted
Dubai has convicted 21 individuals for running a large-scale residency visa scam, with total fines exceeding AED 25 million, the city's Citizenship and Residency Prosecution confirmed. The group—made up of people from different nationalities—illegally obtained and misused residence visas by setting up fake companies. These companies had no actual offices, existed only on paper, and were quickly shut down after securing the visas, leaving recruited workers in legal limbo. Fake Firms Targeted for Exploiting Residency Visas The investigation began after the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai raised red flags over suspicious business activity. Authorities uncovered 33 fake commercial entities involved in the scheme. The Dubai Citizenship and Residency Prosecution has secured from the Dubai Citizenship and Residency Court a conviction and a fine totalling AED25.210 million against 21 defendants of various nationalities involved in visa fraud. The individuals were found guilty in one of the… — Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) June 24, 2025 The firms used fake addresses and avoided official labour and residency procedures to profit from unlawful visa issuances. Investigators found a total of 385 residency visas that were issued under these fraudulent operations. Dr. Ali Humaid bin Khatem, Senior Advocate General and Head of the Citizenship and Residency Prosecution, said the case highlights the government's strict stance against visa manipulation. He also emphasized the ongoing collaboration between the prosecution and other authorities to protect the integrity of the UAE's residency and labour systems.
Arabian Business
24-06-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
Dubai convicts 21 in $6.9m phantom visa fraud case
The Dubai Citizenship and Residency Court has issued a landmark conviction against 21 individuals of various nationalities, sentencing them in one of the emirate's largest visa fraud cases. The defendants were fined a combined total of AED25.21m ($6.86m) for orchestrating a wide-ranging scheme that involved issuing hundreds of fraudulent residency visas through non-existent companies. The case was prosecuted by the Dubai Citizenship and Residency Prosecution following an investigation prompted by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai. Dubai visa arrests Authorities uncovered a network of phantom companies set up solely to obtain residence visas under false pretences. These companies were later shut down without legalising the employment status of recruited workers, leaving many vulnerable to exploitation. According to Dr. Ali Humaid bin Khatem, Senior Advocate General and Head of the Citizenship and Residency Prosecution, the investigation uncovered 33 shell entities operating with forged business licences and fictitious addresses. These entities were found to have been used to illegally secure and misuse a total of 385 residency visas. Dr. Bin Khatem said: 'The Public Prosecution will continue to work closely with its partners to address any violations of laws governing the entry and residence of foreigners as well as labour regulations in order to preserve the stability of society and the integrity of the labour market'.
CTV News
20-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Former mayor from Haiti gets prison time for lying to get into the U.S.
CONCORD, N.H. — A former mayor from Haiti convicted of lying about his violent past on his visa application was sentenced Friday to nine years in prison and three years of supervision, after which he will be subject to deportation proceedings. Jean Morose Viliena, of Malden, Massachusetts, was the mayor of Les Irois, Haiti, from December 2006 until February 2010. He was convicted of three counts of visa fraud in March and sentenced Friday in federal court in Boston. 'For more than a decade, he lived freely and comfortable in this country while the victims of his brutality lived in fear, exile and pain,' U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in statement. 'Today's sentence brings a measure of justice for the lives he shattered and sends a clear message: the United States will not be a safe have for human rights abusers.' According to prosecutors, Viliena committed 'violent atrocities' against his political foes in an isolated, rural community of about 22,000 residents on Haiti's western tip. In 2007, he was accused of leading a group of his allies to the home of a political opponent, where he and his associates shot and killed the opponent's younger brother, then smashed his skull with a rock. In 2008, Viliena and his allies went armed with guns, machetes, picks and sledgehammers to shut down a community radio station that he opposed, prosecutors said. Authorities said he pistol-whipped and punched a man and ordered an associate to shoot and kill the man and another person. Both survived, but one of the men lost a leg and the other was blinded in one eye. When he applied for a visa to enter the U.S., however, Viliena denied having 'ordered, carried out or materially assisted in extrajudicial and political killings and other acts of violence against the Haitian people.' He later received a permanent resident card and has raised a child who is a U.S. citizen by birth, prosecutors said. Defence attorneys argued in court that it was members of a rival political party — including some who they say are government witnesses — who committed the violence. They described the former mayor as the son of a farmer who became a teacher and eventually ran for mayor to improve conditions in town. In 2023, Viliena was found liable by an American jury in a civil trial in connection with the killing and the two attempted killings and assessed US$15.5 million in compensatory and punitive damages. Holly Ramer, The Associated Press
