Congolese 'fake passport network' busted in Mauritius

A network of Congolese nationals who have been falsifying identity documents and fake documents from the Republic of Congo in order to obtain the Mauritian passport, has been busted by the authorities in Mauritius.

The Passport and Immigration Office (PIO) Production Section officers detected the fraud and identified the masterminds of this network as Congolese nationals Nzema Crouche Francis and Bosalo Bosete, as well as their Mauritian accomplice, Yolande Benoit.

They were arrested on Thursday last week, while three Congolese women who were trying to flee from Mauritius were also arrested by PIO officers on Tuesday this week.

The police told Africanews that they found several birth certificates that seem to have been falsified, in the custody of these criminal masterminds.

These documents would presumably have been used to facilitate the obtaining of Mauritian passports.

“Equipped with Mauritian passports, Africans of Congolese origin could have more easily access to European countries,” says an investigator.

In Mauritius, those found guilty of falsifying or altering state documents commit a serious offense under section 66 of the Civil Status Act and can be jailed for up to 30 years.

Yasine Mohabuth, Africanews Correspondent