Fake Sailing Qualification Network Disbanded

Officers from the Guardia Civil have arrested 22 people, with a further 851 under investigation, charged in connection with falsifying nautical qualifications.

The operation began in October last year when investigators became aware of an individual who would provide qualifications in exchange for money, without ensuring that the applicants had trained for and successfully passed the relevant examinations.

The investigation then revealed a network of people involved in the scam, culminating in inspections across 29 coastal provinces and the subsequent arrests.