Vigilance can report that Officers from the Metropolitan Police Services' Fraud Squad have today, Wednesday 25 May, arrested three people following a proactive intelligence led investigation into the supply of counterfeit identity documents online that could potentially be used to commit fraud.
Vigilance learnt that with assistance from uniformed officers and rapid entry teams, detectives from the Fraud Squad searched one residential address in Altrincham, Cheshire; one residential address in Coulsden, Surrey; and one residential address and one business premises in Bournemouth, Dorset.
Our Intelligence and Policing Team gathered that a 29-year-old man [A] was arrested in Altrincham, and was taken to a police station in Manchester; a 40-year-old man [B] was arrested at the address in Coulsdon and was taken to a police station in central London, and a 44-year-old man [C] was arrested at the residential address in Bournemouth - he was taken to a police station in Dorset.
A Met source said they were all arrested on suspicion of producing and supplying articles for use in fraud and money laundering offences. They remain in custody at the respective police stations.
According to the Met source officers seized computer hard drives, printers and counterfeit documents - all of which could be used in financial crime.
Detective Chief Inspector Robin Cross, who heads the Fraud Squad, said: "I would hope that our activity contributes toward driving home the important message that buying and selling counterfeit identity documents online or in any other form is illegal; and that the police will proactively investigate and prosecute anyone getting involved in this type of criminal activity.”
DCI Cross added: "Our advice to those tempted to visit such websites to purchase identity documents that are advertised for 'novelty purposes' is that they should think very carefully about what they are doing - there is no legitimate reason for possessing a counterfeit identity document as far as the law is concerned.”