Fake documents, real signatures
fedpol specialists trace the trail of counterfeit documents and identify series of forgeries using forensic profiling. From Morocco to Italy, via Switzerland, they found the same recurring traces on various documents. This caught the attention of our experts.
When the telephone rang in Tunis, Frédéric, fedpol’s attaché in Morocco and Tunisia, picked up the receiver. On the other end of the line was his Italian counterpart, a police attaché in Morocco. He wanted to discuss a case involving a couple of Italian nationals who were stopped in Casablanca, and were found to be carrying what appeared to be false Swiss passports.
After running a few checks, confirmed to his counterpart that the passport numbers provided did not match the names listed in the register. He immediately entered the forged documents into national and international databases, then notified the Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie, which was handling the case. It turned out that the fugitives were none other than two Italian mobsters at the head of the Aprilla clan. Thanks to the detection of false passports, it was possible to trace their true identities and arrest them under the Italian international warrant issued by INTERPOL. They were likely be extradited to their country.
Frédéric was not satisfied with this initial information, and sent a copy of the fake Swiss passports to his colleagues at headquarters in Bern. This is where specialists in forged documents, particularly Swiss ones, are based. Solène began analysing the two documents, first comparing them with each other. Numerous easily recognisable elements indicated that they were forgeries, including misalignment, spelling and typographical errors, and misplaced security features. The documents mimicked the latest series of passports, and several clues pointed to a forgery. But only the eye of an expert like Solène can identify common profiling characteristics, allowing her to link these two forgeries to each other and potentially to other counterfeits.
When forgeries leave traces, the Intercantonal Database of Fraudulent Identity documents connects the dots
Based on findings from the analysis of the two forged passports, the specialist searched the Intercantonal Database of Fraudulent Identity Documents. Bingo: she found a forged passport with the same characteristics, confirming that these three documents shared a common feature. These characteristics, specific to the forger, constitute a form of signature or trademark. They suggest that the documents may have a common origin and belong to the same series. If other clues are added to this, it then becomes possible to establish a link to a specific criminal network.
What is forensic profiling?
Forensic profiling links series of forged documents by identifying ‘signatures’ typical of a forger. The international database, ProFID-SERIES and the Database of Fraudulent Identity Documents (its Swiss version), centralises and shares this information in order to compare cases between countries, detect series of forgeries, strengthen police cooperation and, where applicable, substantiate the existence of a criminal network.
Circumstantial information related to the cases can also sometimes provide evidence. Some clues are already provided in the Database of Fraudulent Identity Documents. fedpol contacted the canton where the third forged document was discovered. The holder of this false identity was caught red-handed while attempting to open a bank account. The trail led to France, and more specifically to Paris. A name even emerged from this search…
From Switzerland to Morocco, Italy and France, counterfeiters and their operations know no borders. Yet, taken individually, each case seems to have its own unique story. When compared side by side using forensic profiling, however, connections between cases become clear, including the same flaws, clues, and ‘signatures’. These cross-references may be the first crack in the façade of a larger network. The scale of the phenomenon remains to be determined, but when the same source reappears, it is no longer a coincidence; it is a lead.
“At some point, everything comes together – what was just a trace finally makes sense and becomes a complete picture. Thanks to the information gathered, we can then guide the investigation, steer it in the right direction and follow the clues left behind by the criminals.”
Solène, forged documents specialist