Murcia, December 19, 2025 — Spain’s Guardia Civil, National Police, and Santomera Local Police have carried out a joint operation in the municipality of Santomera to uncover alleged fraud related to the registration of foreign nationals on the municipal census. The operation resulted in the arrest of 14 people for failing to legalize their stay in Spain and the detection of 51 administrative violations of Spain’s Immigration Law.
The operation, authorized by the Government Delegation in the Region of Murcia, was launched at the request of the Santomera Town Council after municipal officials identified signs of irregularities in several census registrations. Investigators believe that the registrations were linked to properties that did not meet minimum standards of habitability.
More than 30 officers from the three law enforcement agencies took part in the operation, which focused on inspecting homes that had been listed as official addresses for census registration purposes. According to authorities, these properties failed to meet basic requirements for health, safety, and habitability. Municipal technicians identified seven dwellings with serious deficiencies.
As a result of the operation, 14 individuals were arrested for being in Spain without legal residency status. In addition, officers recorded 51 administrative infractions related to violations of the Immigration Law.
Authorities emphasized that the operation forms part of ongoing efforts to prevent fraud in municipal registration processes and to ensure compliance with immigration and housing regulations.
