French and Spanish police, supported by Europol, dismantled a large-scale fake document factory in Alicante and arrested one suspect.

Authorities seized around 800 forged European identity and residence documents, along with production equipment, digital devices, and other evidence. The suspect allegedly operated an online marketplace supplying counterfeit IDs to criminal networks involved in migrant smuggling across Europe.

Investigators found a fully equipped document workshop, demonstrating the increasingly industrialized nature of document fraud operations.

The case highlights how forged documents remain a key enabler of illegal migration, prompting stronger EU cooperation through the new European Centre Against Migrant Smuggling established in 2026.

Read Europol article for more information.