Fake US embassy in Ghana shut down

[JonLP24]

Source: Al Jazeera

The fake embassy operated illegally for a decade issuing visas at a cost of $6,000 each, according to State Department.

Authorities in Ghana have busted a fake US embassy in the capital, Accra, run by a criminal network that for a decade issued illegally obtained authentic visas, the US State Department has said.

Until it was shut down this summer, the sham embassy was housed in a run-down, pink two-storey building with a corrugated iron roof and flew a US flag outside. Inside hung a portrait of President Barack Obama.

"It was not operated by the United States government, but by figures from both Ghanaian and Turkish organised crime rings and a Ghanaian attorney practicing immigration and criminal law," the State Department said in a statement released late on Friday.

Turkish citizens, who spoke English and Dutch, posed as consular officers and staffed the operation. Investigations also uncovered a fake Dutch embassy, the State Department said.

Read more: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/fake-embassy-ghana-shut-161204134951457.html

[treestar]

1. That is interesting

How long could they last, though, unless people were actually able to use the visas to get into the US?

[Yo_Mama]

6. The visas were authentic, although not legally in their possession.

Just as the Syrian identity documents ISIS is using to get some into Europe are authentic forms - although the information is not authentic.

The backstory to this will be interesting, if we ever hear it.

[mainer]

2. And THAT is chutzpah.

open for a decade?!!!

[sfwriter]

3. Awww man... they were securing the money from my Nigerian prince...:-( . EOM

[Yo_Mama]

5. Although I realize this is really bad, and needed to be ended ...

I sit in awe and admiration of those who thought this up and executed it. If their initiative and creativity could only be harnessed for better purposes!