Suspected benefit fraud network busted in the Axarquia

TEN people have been arrested by National Police in connection with a suspected Social Security fraud scheme believed to have been carried out in several Axarquia towns.
The operation was named ‘Operacion Varadero,’ which in a first phase led National Police to detect several irregularities and ended up dismantling a shell company reportedly issuing false work contracts to register people on the Social Security lists to illegally obtain unemployment benefits, without carrying out any commercial activities.
The second phase involved the detection of several other companies suspected of carrying out the same illegal activities. The second company was broken up after it registered 18 people with Social Security without actually carrying out work. At least three of them were reportedly receiving unemployment or other benefits.
According to the authorities’ information, both companies were connected and had false employees in common.