Family heads who married up to six times arrested over false ID cards

Spanish police have arrested 53 people belonging to a ring that allegedly created false identities to engage in a range of illegal activities, including polygamy and evading being sent to prison.

Those arrested had allegedly accumulated their multiple identities by registering the birth of children outside the usual deadline

Those arrested had allegedly accumulated their multiple identities by registering the birth of children outside the usual deadline. Police have accused the heads of the families involved of being married to up to six different women and thus obtaining different identity cards.

This was carried out by presenting falsified documents and statements to registry offices throughout Andalusia to obtain birth certificates, which were then later used to apply for Spanish identity cards, allowing members of the ring to evade court appearances or prison if arrested.

Ten alleged members of the gang were arrested in 2015 in and around Seville. In March, police detained a further 22 people in other towns in Andalusia. The final phase of the operation produced a further 21 arrests.

English version by Nick Lyne.