The regional branch of the National Division for Combating Migrant Smuggling and Related Practices (DNLT) does not intend to limit itself to the arrest of the three individuals brought before the prosecutor at the Ziguinchor High Court on November 10 for forgery and use of forged documents, complicity, and obtaining Senegalese national identity cards. According to the evidence presented to the prosecutor, this case may conceal a network involved in document falsification and criminal conspiracy.

 

The case came to light on November 5th during a routine police check at the Kantène station on Boulevard des 54 M, on the Mpack-Ziguinchor road. Officers stopped an individual in possession of two separate identity documents: one Senegalese and one Guinean. Checks revealed that the identity data was incompatible, except for the photograph. The Guinean national identity card was found to be authentic, while the Senegalese card was a counterfeit.

 

During questioning, the accused confessed that the forged document had been fabricated using a civil status document obtained illegally from the Guédiawaye town hall through a third party for 60,000 CFA francs. A certificate of nationality was also produced from this document at the Guédiawaye court for 80,000 CFA francs.

 

The intermediary from the Guédiawaye town hall was arrested following a request addressed to the local municipal authorities, after the information was forwarded to the DNLT (National Directorate for the Fight Against Torture) in Dakar. The man partially admitted to the charges during his interrogation.

When questioned by investigators, he admitted to fabricating the fake nationality certificate for 10,000 CFA francs, but for the birth certificate, he stated that it was issued by a former employee of the Boune town hall, with the complicity of an accomplice employed at the Guédiawaye town hall.

 

The phone of the Guédiawaye town hall employee is ringing

 

Continuing their investigation, the detectives searched the phone of the Guédiawaye town hall employee, which revealed 87 copies of identity documents, 50 birth certificates, and 100 birth records. In addition to these documents, they found 27 copies of Senegalese national identity cards, two marriage proxies, and 30 marriage certificates, 18 of which were blank.

Twenty-five Guinean national identity cards were also found in the phone; 80 birth certificates and 75 literal copies of birth certificates, all with the letterhead of the town hall of Boune, in the department of Keur Massar.

When confronted with the documents found on his phone, he admitted that they had been fabricated in collusion with several municipal agents.

 

The third suspect was apprehended with birth certificates and verbatim copies of birth certificates, all of which were forgeries. Under questioning, he claimed that these documents had remained in his possession through negligence after his dismissal from the Boune town hall. However, he denied knowing the first person arrested in Ziguinchor, as well as any involvement in the creation of the incriminating documents.

 

The investigation continues to identify any other accomplices and dismantle this network trafficking in counterfeit documents.