PANAJI
An investigation into the arrival of a large number of Portuguese citizens of Indian origin into the UK, US and Canada has uncovered an international racket with links to Goa, leading to the imprisonment of four members of the gang in Portugal for fraudulently facilitating acquisition of Portuguese
nationality.
According to reports in the RTP and in Hindustan Times, the Portugal's Immigration and Borders Service (SEF) said the four persons, who are citizens of India and Mozambique, were jailed in Lisbon after raids in a number of countries.
The Hindustan Times report revealed that "the network provided the necessary false documentation, including birth certificates from Goa, Daman and Diu", to acquire Portuguese citizenship, charging nearly 30,000 Euros per person for the fraudulent services.
Quoting officials in Lisbon, the HT report said "raids during the international operation led to the seizure of a large number of documents, computer equipment, mobile phones, correspondence, cars, credit cards, about 20,000 Euros, gold and jewellery."
Picking up figures from the Britain's Office for National Statistics, the HT report said there were "28,000 India-born UK residents with Portuguese nationality in 2017", but added that the Portuguese media has suggested "the figure may be more than twice that figure."
According to the RTP report, the group had branches across several countries: Portugal, United Kingdom, India, Guinea Bissau, Senegal, Sao Tome and Principe and Cape Verde.
The RTP report had said Operação Livro Mágico (Operation Magic Book) had been launched in 2013 by the SEF following an alert from US authorities that an Indian citizen who, after being refused entry to the country, once again made another attempt, this time already in the possession of a passport obtained as a Portuguese citizen.
