Authorities in Ghana have busted a fake US embassy that had issued illegally obtained visas for a decade, according to the US State Department.
The sham consulate was run by criminal network from a small rundown building in Accra, the country’s capital.
The operation was shut down over the summer but US authorities did not release a statement until Friday.
The statement said: “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 criminals running the operation were able to pay off corrupt officials to look the other way, as well as obtain legitimate blank documents to be doctored.”
Authorities carrying out the raids found legitimate US visas and false identification documents – including birth certificates – for sale at £4,700 ($6,000).
There were also Indian, South African and Schengen zone visas – both authentic and counterfeit – as well as 150 passports from 10 different countries.
A fake Dutch embassy was also uncovered during the operation, employing Turkish citizens posing as consular officers although authorities in the Netherlands have not yet commented on the allegations.
The demand for Western visas in Africa makes the visa market a big target for organised crime, with gangs often use bribery to get round the law.
Authorities are unsure how many people have entered the US and other Western countries using the documents obtained from fake embassies.
The actual US embassy in Ghana is housed in an enormous building in one of the most exclusive areas of Accra and their operating methods are a far cry from the suspicious activities of the sham embassy.
According to the US State Department, the fake consulate “did not accept walk-in visa appointments, instead, they drove to the most remote parts of West Africa to find customers.
“They would shuttle the customers to Accra, and rent them a room at a hotel nearby.
“The Ghanaian organised crime ring would shuttle the victims to and from the fake embassies.”