100 British citizens living in Spain are suspected of using the false paperwork to obtain bank credit, mostly mortgages, of up to 1.5 million euros

100 British citizens living in Spain are suspected of using the false paperwork to obtain bank credit, mostly mortgages, of up to 1.5 million euros (£1.4m) each.Detectives believe the gang's activities may have defrauded 25 financial institutions in Spain of around 60 million euros (£56m) in total."It was a perfectly structured organisation, capable of successfully producing all types of fake documents, including a vast range of clients and able to set up a full network of collaborators, which meant a high volume of fake documents were generated - more than 1,000 documents in three months," police in Alicante said.The investigation began in early 2007 after police spotted websites offering fake driving licenses, residence permits, birth certificates, academic qualifications and other official documents.They arrested two men and a woman, all Britons, in May 2007 and seized equipment for producing fake documents plus guns and ammunition in raids on two properties.Another 50 people have been arrested in various regions of Spain since mid-2008 and the operation is still continuing.
Two of those, identified by Spanish police by their initials AK and DM, were located last November after appeals from the Crimestoppers charity and the Serious and Organised Crime Agency in the UK.The investigation also led to the identification of a British man who was wanted for a murder in Malaga.Police believe he may have fled to Britain using fake documents supplied by the gang.Spanish authorities have also provided information to Europol on more than 1,000 people in 26 countries who are suspected of obtaining false paperwork from the group.