Georgia’s Anti-Corruption Agency arrests six in large-scale fraud cases involving residence permits, border stamps

Employees of the Anti-Corruption Agency of the State Security Service of Georgia on Saturday arrested five Georgian citizens and one Turkish citizen on charges of large-scale fraud and attempted fraud in two separate criminal cases involving false promises of residence permits and illegal border-stamp manipulations.

Emzar Gagnidze, the Director of the Georgian State Security Service’s Anti-Corruption Agency, detailed the schemes uncovered through investigative and operational measures, noting that the suspects exploited foreigners whose lawful stay in Georgia had expired.

According to Gagnidze, the investigation into the first case established that a Turkish citizen, acting as part of a fraudulent criminal group with four Georgian citizens, promised another Turkish citizen temporarily staying in Georgia that he would help him obtain a residence permit in exchange for USD 14,500. However, the promise was not fulfilled.

“The victim’s period of lawful stay in the country had expired, which was known to the other members of the criminal group. Subsequently, Georgian citizens connected to the detained defendant contacted the same Turkish citizen and, in exchange for USD 3,000, assisted him in creating a legal basis for his stay in Georgia. Specifically, using the individual’s identity card and without him actually crossing the border, they placed official stamps confirming his entry into and exit from Georgia in the Form for Travel, Entry and Exit by Identity Card”, he said.

He further noted that the suspects allegedly used the individual’s identity card to place official stamps confirming his entry into and exit from Georgia in the relevant travel document, despite the fact that he had not actually crossed the state border.

“As for the second criminal case, the investigation established that a citizen of Turkmenistan who was temporarily staying in Georgia had exceeded the period of his lawful stay in the country. A Georgian citizen promised him, in exchange for USD 4,000, that he would take him across the border and subsequently bring him back in such a way that his lawful period of stay in Georgia would be extended. The defendant failed to fulfil his promise but nevertheless demanded and received part of the money”, he noted.

“The Anti-Corruption Agency of the State Security Service continues to work to identify other individuals involved in the criminal scheme and bring them to criminal justice,” Gagnidze concluded.

The charges carry a sentence of up to nine years in prison.