The Civil Guard is investigating a woman who they allege is operating an illegal nursing home from a private home in the Vega Baja. She currently manages this clandestine residence which provides care  to almost a dozen elderly German nationals.

The lady, a 70-year-old Swiss national, also hired several untrained workers to care for the elderly patients with the Civil Guard now investigating her for crimes of work intrusion, fraud, misappropriation and against workers’ rights.

In addition, she is said to have exercised total control over the bank accounts of the most vulnerable residents, even defrauding some of them and transferring the money to her personal account.

The investigation is being carried out by the Judicial Police Team of the Almoradí Civil Guard and has been christened operation ‘Geranio 24’.

So far the agents have carried out a search of the home together with inspectors from the Department of Social Services, Equality and Housing of the Generalitat Valenciana, in which they have found nine elderly German residents and several staff who are illegally working as caregivers.

The agents have seized a large amount of documentation for analysis and requested the judicial blocking of the bank accounts.

The Investigative Court No. 1 of Orihuela is in charge of conducting the investigation.

The Social Services have proposed the opening of a disciplinary file, whilst also urging the closure of the business.