Kharkiv and Mukachevo expose large-scale scheme of forged documents production

Kharkiv and Mukachevo expose large-scale scheme of forged documents production

In Kharkiv and Mukachevo, illegal printing houses produced driver’s licences, ID cards and other Ukrainian and European documents, including residence permits for Poland, Germany, Slovakia, Latvia, the Czech Republic and other European countries. Every day, up to 40 counterfeits with fictitious holographic security elements were released.

This was reported on the official website of the National Police.

Operatives of the Criminal Investigation Department of the National Police discovered that a 33-year-old native of the Dnipropetrovsk region organized illegal activities. He attracted nine people from different regions of the country, clearly dividing roles between them.

Some participants were engaged in posting advertisements and accepting orders in telegram channels, others were engaged in producing and sending fake documents to postal operators, including international ones. The cost of one document ranged from 300 to 700 dollars. The proceeds were withdrawn to crypto wallets and bank cards of the defendants.

To eliminate the criminal group, police conducted 50 simultaneous searches in the Kharkiv, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Sumy and Zakarpattya regions. As a result of the searches, fake documents, equipment for their production, fake seals of government agencies, film with holographic security elements and other evidence of criminal activity were seized.

National Police investigators announced suspicion under Part 3 of Art. to all ten members of the criminal organization. 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (forgery of documents by prior conspiracy by a group of persons), Part 4 of Art. 199 (production, storage, acquisition, transportation, forwarding, as well as sale of illegally manufactured or counterfeit holographic security elements) and parts 1, 2 of Art. 255 (creation, management and participation in a criminal organization).

Nine members of the criminal organization are in custody. The organizer is hiding abroad, and the issue of putting him on the international wanted list is being decided. All defendants face up to 12 years in prison.