Arrests at the Frejus Tunnel for forged documents
Date of the event:
On 12 November 2026 the State Police arrest, at the Italian side of the Frejus motorway tunnel, in Bardonecchia, two Serbian citizens aged 25 and 27, found in possession of forged Slovenian identity documents. The two were travelling on the same bus, which had left Milan bound for Lyon, and were sitting next to each other. The arrest takes place during the daily checks carried out by the Border Police to combat cross-border crime.[1][2]
The checks
The first to be stopped is the 25-year-old, on a bus bound for France. When asked for a valid document, the man produces a Slovenian electronic identity card issued to another person, which turns out to be false after technical checks by the police, who find graphic and material features inconsistent with the originals. The checks allow his true identity to be established; during the personal search a forged Slovenian driving licence is also found.[1][2]
The same day, officers arrest a second Serbian citizen, aged 27, also found in possession of a forged Slovenian electronic identity card issued to another person. During the search, the man is found with a bag he had initially denied having with him: inside, hidden among clothing, officers find several forged documents issued to third parties, visual signalling devices and stickers reading «Guardia Civil», imitating those used by the Spanish police. The man tells officers he had not initially reported the bag because it contained illicit items intended for a person he was due to meet in Spain.[1][2]
The two men are linked to the same travel document, a circumstance that leads investigators to suspect a possible connection between them.[1][2]
The charges
Both are arrested on charges of possessing and producing forged identification documents. The 25-year-old also faces charges of false declaration and material forgery; the 27-year-old faces charges of material forgery and possession of counterfeit insignia. At the end of the proceedings, both are placed at the disposal of the judicial authority.[1][2]
Sources
- Bardonecchia, controlli alla frontiera: due serbi arrestati al traforo del Frejus per documenti falsi — TorinoOggi, 12 November 2026
- Arresti Frejus, documenti falsi e Guardia Civil — Quotidiano Piemontese, 12 November 2026