- Began to receive aid in the Basque Country, at least, in 2010, reaching 132,000 euros
- The detainee had obtained long-term residence in Spain in 2016, however, it has been possible to prove that he resided in France since 2014
The National Police has arrested a man as an alleged perpetrator of crimes against the Treasury, Social Security and Falsehood, when he registered in Vitoria to receive aid when he actually resided in France.
The investigation began when the Subdelegation of the Government of Gipuzkoa warned that a person, an Algerian national residing in Vitoria-Gasteiz, could actually be residing in France for several years.
On suspicion that this behavior was intended to fraudulently receive social aid, the researchers of the Operative Group of Foreigners II (GOE) of San Sebastián found that, in fact, he officially registered as a resident in Vitoria-Gasteiz and that since 2016 he had granted a long-term residence permit in Spain.
After activating the mechanisms of international coordination and cooperation with France, they were also able to determine that, in reality, it resided in the Gallic country since 2014. In this regard, the agents found that he lived with his wife and children and that, despite having obtained long-term residence in Spain in 2016, he was working as a hairdresser in the Welsh country, where he had also obtained a temporary residence permit that served him to receive social benefits.
Faced with this finding, the Basque Employment Service - Lanbide joined the investigation, quickly providing information on the possibility that the suspect was receiving aid of this type in the Basque Country. After an exhaustive control and documentary analysis, it was discovered that it had received aid from 2010 to date in the amount of 132,000 euros in Income Guarantee Income (RGI), Minimum Vital Income (IMV) and Supplementary Housing Benefit (PCV).
To combat these behaviors, Law 14/2022, of December 22, of the "Basque System of Income Guarantee and for Inclusion" has recently included the possibility that the holders and beneficiaries of income guarantee income are summoned to appear personally in the offices of Lanbide-Basque Employment Service in order to verify their residence in the Basque Country and compliance with the requirements and obligations of this law.
Having established that the suspect has resided in France since 2014, the final economic figure that the investigators estimate would have defrauded the Public Treasury would be 90,000 euros, having also avoided other obligations regarding foreigners, such as the obligation to notify any change of domicile in Spain.
For all these reasons, on May 29, taking advantage of one of the very few visits that the investigator made to Vitoria, he was arrested and immediately brought before the courts.