Efe Vitoria

Victoria

Updated Wednesday, March 27, 2024-20:02

The National Police, in collaboration with the French police, has arrested a couple who have resided in France

since 2014

for fraudulently collecting social aid managed by the Basque Employment service, Lanbide, for years in an amount of 140,281 euros.

These social benefits that are granted through Lanbide correspond to the

Income Guarantee Income (RGI), the Complementary Housing Benefit (PCV) and the Minimum Living Income (IMV)

, whose management is the responsibility of the Basque Government.

As reported by the Ministry of the Interior in a note, the investigation started from the

San Sebastián

police station of the National Police, which was alerted by Lanbide that a national of Algeria who has a long-term residence card in the Union European was receiving Basque social benefits despite having resided in France for several years.

During the investigation, it was confirmed that this person and his family had resided in France since 2014 and that their entire cohabitation unit, made up of the couple and their

five children,

were receiving financial benefits.

Among the obligations to receive social aid in Euskadi is that both the applicant for the benefit and all his beneficiaries have to notify within a maximum period of 15 days of the events that could give rise to a

modification of the requirements

to collect these aids such as receiving other income, having properties or changes of address, among others.

The police investigation confirmed that the couple began receiving aid

in 2008

and since then they have received 177,912 euros, of which it is estimated that 140,281 have been collected fraudulently.

Furthermore, it has been proven, according to sources, that the father has been

working in different companies in France

and that he has also received different financial aid from the French State in aid for the education of his children.

"However,

at no time have all these incomes been declared

or communicated to public organizations in Spain," the Ministry clarified.

Currently, the detainees, accused of crimes against the Public Treasury and Social Security,

are owners of three vehicles

, two of them French and one Spanish. There was also another vehicle that he owned between 2014 and 2016 and all of these properties had not been declared.