Chinese football players arrested in Spain

Two Chinese football players have been arrested in Salamanca as part of a larger scheme relating to false work permits and immigration certificates.

The players, currently playing in Murcia, were arrested in Adolfo Suarez airport and are amongst nearly 40 arrests made in the country in an operation to dismantle a criminal network specialising in false documentation and corruption.

According to agents of the Foreigners and Borders Brigade of the Police Station of Salamanca, the false documentation was issued by a Spanish citizen working at Study Centre in the city.

The Director of the centre was allegedly working under the authority of the criminal gang, where he would take cash, between €400 and €800, for the false certificates and issued continuous extensions to their work visas enabling the Chinese men to stay in the country for long periods of time.

Upon investigation around 40 arrests have been made so far,nine of which have been made in Salamanca. Of the arrests two of Spanish nationality and the rest were of Chinese nationality, although there are also citizens of Korean and Japanese nationality involved.

As well as the arrests, properties including electronic devices and documentation have been seized at several properties in the area