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.


Share
1 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world