A counterfeit document workshop in Alicante has been dismantled after a French-led investigation, with police seizing about 800 forged European identity documents.
One person was arrested during operational action on 27 May 2026, Europol reported on Thursday.
Officers also seized document-production equipment, digital devices, a vehicle and €1,580 in cash.
The search took place at an apartment rented under a false name, where investigators found what Europol described as a fully operational counterfeit document workshop.
Online marketplace linked to migrant smuggling
The suspect is believed to have run an online marketplace offering forged identity and administrative documents — both physical and digital — to customers across Europe, Europol said.
The documents were allegedly used by criminal networks involved in migrant smuggling to evade border controls, obtain residence rights fraudulently and support onward travel within the European Union.
The investigation began after a website advertising counterfeit identity documents was identified.
French and Spanish investigators traced the suspect to Alicante, where he had been living since 2024.
Europol said it coordinated operational activity and helped French and Spanish authorities exchange information during the investigation, and deployed an expert to Spain on the day of action to provide analytical support.
