Prosecutors (MP) have charged 15 defendants with crimes related to unification, facilitating illegal immigration and document forgery as part of a scheme to lure Asian citizens with promises of legalization in Europe, the MP said this Monday.
According to the note from the Lisbon parliamentarian, some of the accused “agreed to create an organized group with the aim of obtaining large sums of money to attract citizens from a number of Asian countries through promises of legalization” in Europe.
To this end, from October 2021, they recruited the remaining defendants, whose task was to recruit citizens intending to enter Europe, as well as provide other services within the framework of the now dismantled criminal activity.
Seven accused are in pre-trial detention.
Six of them were subjected to their first judicial interrogation on July 18, and another has been subjected to the same imprisonment since August last year in a separate trial.
The investigation included 10 more defendants, who were not charged after fulfilling the obligations imposed by the court.
The investigation was carried out by the Department of Investigation and Criminal Affairs (DIAP) of Lisbon, with the assistance of the Judicial Police.