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Fake US embassy in Ghana shut down

Ghanaian and Turkish crime rings are suspected of operating a fake embassy in Ghana's capital that operated for "about a decade" issuing counterfeit visas.

The US State Department says it has shut down a fake embassy in Ghana's capital that operated for "about a decade" issuing counterfeit and fraudulently obtained visas to West Africans.

A statement says authorities recovered 150 passports from 10 countries and visas from the US, India, South Africa and the European Schengen zone.

The statement says the scheme was orchestrated by "Ghanaian and Turkish organised crime rings" as well as a Ghanaian attorney.

Several suspects have been arrested, though others remain at large.

It is not clear how many people were defrauded by the fake embassy, which charged $US6,000 ($A8,085) for its services.

The operation relied on fliers and billboards to lure victims from Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togo.

It is not clear whether people successfully travelled on the visas.


1 min read

Published

Source: AAP



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