The National Police, with the collaboration of the French Police, has arrested a married couple in France for a crime against the Public Treasury and Social Security for fraudulently obtaining 140,281 euros in social aid, following a complaint from the Basque Employment Service. Lanbide.
As reported by the Ministry of the Interior, the investigation has been carried out by the National Police Station of San Sebastián, who have learned through Lanbide that a person, with Algerian nationality, carrying a EU long-term residence, was receiving benefits from Spanish public organizations, and this individual and his family may have been residing in France for several years.
From the investigation and actions carried out by the Immigration Brigade, it was confirmed that, indeed, this family had resided in France since 2014, while in Spain, their entire cohabitation unit, made up of the aforementioned couple and their five children, would be receiving financial benefits.
This couple, in order to be able to receive financial aid, had to request it using various forms, being subject for the entire time that the benefits lasted to what is stipulated in the regulations, both to the rights and obligations established in each case.
Among the aforementioned obligations, it stands out that both the applicant for the benefit and all his beneficiaries would be subject to, among other things, notifying the entity issuing the benefit and, within a maximum of 15 days, all those events that could give rise to the modification, suspension or even extinction of that right, such as receiving other monetary income, owning property or communicating any change of address, among others.
From the investigations carried out, it has been proven that both citizens were receiving aid in Spain, starting in 2008 until today, having received up to 177,912.13 euros in benefits and financial aid during this time.
It has been proven that in recent years the father has been working in different companies in France, as well as that he has also received different financial aid from the French State in aid for the education of his children.
However, at no time have all of these incomes been declared or communicated to public organizations in Spain. Likewise, currently the detainees own three vehicles, two of them French and one Spanish, with a fourth vehicle that was owned by the detainees between 2014 and 2016, all of which were also not declared.
From the investigation carried out, it has been estimated that the Algerian couple has defrauded the Public Treasury of 140,281 euros. “The excellent collaboration between the National Police, the French police authorities and the Basque Employment Service has allowed this investigation to be carried out and the arrest of the couple for a crime against the Public Treasury and Social Security,” the Ministry concluded.
