The employees of the anti-corruption agency of the State Security Service of Georgia arrested six people on suspicion of particularly large-scale fraud. Five citizens of Georgia and one citizen of Turkey are involved in the case, reports Georgia Online.
According to the State Security Service, the arrested persons participated in two separate schemes, which are related to the deception of foreigners trying to maintain legal grounds for staying in Georgia.
In the first case, four citizens of Georgia and one citizen of Turkey promised their countryman a residence permit for $14,500. However, the promise was not fulfilled, and the man's legal stay in the country expired.
After that, knowing about his illegal status, the people involved in the case offered to solve the problem in another way for 3 thousand dollars. They used the foreigner's identity document and made official notes about two crossings of the state border in the documents, although in reality the man had not left Georgia.
In the second episode, a citizen of Georgia promised a citizen of Turkmenistan, whose authorized stay period was coming to an end, to organize his exit from the country and subsequent entry through the border. He demanded 4 thousand dollars for the service. Although the promise was not fulfilled, the man received a part of the agreed amount.
The investigation of the arrested persons is carried out under articles 180 and 19-180 of the Criminal Code of Georgia: fraud and attempted fraud. They can face up to 9 years in prison.
The State Security Service announced that the investigation is ongoing. Investigators are identifying other possible participants in the schemes.
