Ecuador fights against counterfeit documents through Punto Atenas

The Athens Network is an initiative of the Spanish National Police that allows the exchange of information on travel documents to combat the crime of false documents and related crimes, such as human trafficking and smuggling.

Following the signing of the memorandum agreeing on the creation of the Athens Network in the seven partner countries of the European EUROFRONT programme, the implementation of the Athens Points has begun. This implementation has started in Ecuador, where the Athens Point will operate autonomously and will serve as a tool in the fight against counterfeit documents in the Andean country.

At this document verification office, specialists will answer calls from migration staff who need to confirm whether or not a travel document is a forgery. When other National Points are set up in the other EUROFRONT partner countries, they will be connected to each other and also to the Athens Point in Spain.

Following the launch in Ecuador, a delegation of 5 Ecuadorians belonging to the Ecuadorian National Police and the Under-Secretariat for Migration carried out an internship in Madrid to learn first-hand how the Spanish National Police makes use of the Athens Point.

According to the director of EUROFRONT, José Antonio Cambronero, the countries that are part of the programme have managed to improve their capacities in the fight against counterfeit documents thanks to international cooperation. “With the Athens Network, we are going to contribute experience and good practices to the work that is already being carried out,” he indicated.

Nathalie Patricia Filian Ortega, travel document analyst, who also participated in the training, referred to the importance of cooperation and networking in the fight against counterfeit documents and related crimes and detailed that: “this is going to be very important for the entire South American region, the exchange of information between countries is very important to be able to arrest people who move false documents. It is an enriching experience that will undoubtedly allow us to provide a better service”.

The Athens Point Ecuador is the result of an agreement between seven EUROFRONT partner countries (Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru) to combat document forgery and other crimes. Its creation is based on the premise that document forgery is often linked to more serious criminal activities, such as terrorism or human trafficking. The Athens Network will allow border officials to verify the authenticity of documents in real time, without the need for access to specialised services, thus speeding up processes without generating databases.