Five Nigerian men have this afternoon been charged with fraud and immigration offences following an investigation by the Royal Gibraltar Police’s Special Branch.

Their arrests came after the suspects arrived in Gibraltar last Tuesday (11 Feb) via the airport and presented documents to Borders and Coastguards Agency (BCA) officials, purporting to be seamen travelling to Gibraltar to join a vessel. 

One of the individuals returned to the airport the following day (12 Feb) and a BCA officer reported the suspect’s travel history as suspicious.

Subsequent checks showed that some of his supporting documents were fraudulent, but of a high quality.

He was subsequently arrested by RGP Special Branch detectives.

Enquiries identified four other Nigerian seamen that had entered in a similar fashion who were quickly located by Special Branch detectives in the Line Wall Road area, who were then arrested with the support of Response Team and Traffic officers.

Following an investigation, Sunday Aare, 28, Wasiu Adetoro, 26, Onyedika Emesiana, 34, Chinonso Oliver, 39, and Ogbe Omozore, 45, were all charged with Fraud by False Representation and being a Non Gibraltarian found in Gibraltar without a Valid Permit or Certificate.

The men, who are being remanded at New Mole House Police Station, are due to appear before the Magistrates’ Court at 10am tomorrow morning (14 Feb).