Identity fraud scheme for foreigners dismantled in DF; five arrested
Civil Police in the DF arrested five people for issuing false identity documents to foreigners from the Middle East and Russia. Fourteen fugitives of Arab origin are still being sought.
Fraudulent scheme used notary office in DF to provide identity documents to foreigners
The Civil Police of the Federal District dismantled, on Thursday (12), a scheme for the fraudulent issuance of identity documents for foreigners, according to agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br. The beneficiaries are from the Middle East and Russia.
Warrants for temporary arrest and search and seizure were executed in the Federal District, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. Five people were arrested, including employees of a notary office in the DF, filing agents, and other suspects of involvement in the scheme. Another 14 foreigners of Arab origin remain at large.
Delegate Maurilio Coelho, from the Intelligence Coordination of the Civil Police, detailed how the criminal organisation operated. "The notary office was a victim, because the criminal organisation co-opted employees of that notary office to issue false certificates," he stated. "With these false certificates, these individuals sought to obtain an identity card and, subsequently, to seek a passport and leave the country."
Coelho highlighted the level of sophistication of the group. "They managed to enter a notary office, managed to co-opt an employee and, through that employee, obtain these false certificates, in a very ingenious manner. The document is genuine, but the data contained in that document is false."
According to the investigation, the suspects accessed the notary office's systems to insert cancelled or non-existent birth records, as well as using digital seals from the Court of Justice. The crimes investigated include use of false documents, criminal association, and forgery of public documents.
The operation was named "Book E", a reference to the book in which foreign certificates are transferred to become birth certificates in Brazil. The delegate emphasised the impact for the country. "The Brazilian passport has an extremely high value abroad," said Coelho, adding that most of the foreigners involved have already left Brazil after obtaining the documents.
Police are also investigating the corruption of minors, as a teenager is alleged to have received a false identity document as part of the scheme.
Source: Google News BR — Crime