A Turkish organized crime group has been implicated in operating a sham US embassy in Ghana for over a decade after the fake diplomatic mission was shut down by US officials.
According to the US State Department, both Ghanaian and Turkish organized crime rings and a Ghanaian attorney practicing immigration and criminal law ran the fake embassy. The “consular officers” were Turkish citizens who spoke English and Dutch.
The fake embassy, which flew the American flag and featured a portrait of President Barack Obama, provided services to citizens of Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Togo three days a week. The fake embassy reportedly issued illegally obtained, legitimate American visas, counterfeit visas and false identification documents (including bank records, education records and birth certificates) for the price of $6,000.
The scam operation lasted over a decade thanks to corrupt officials who were bribed by gang members.