The SSU has disrupted the activity of a group that carried out unauthorized interference in the Unified State Register of Vehicles, which enabled them to issue and sell fake driver’s licenses and vehicle registration certificates. According to preliminary information, the offenders managed to ‘serve’ several hundred clients.

Fake registrations were mostly made for stolen cars or those imported and not customs cleared, while for fake driver’s licenses applied those who were temporarily deprived of their documents, for example, as the result of DUIs.  The group looked for ‘clients’ using personal connections in criminal environment. The fake cost USD 800.

According to the investigation, the scheme was set up by three residents of Kyiv, who manufactured the counterfeits at home.

Using personal connections in the MIA service centers, the offenders obtained information about registered vehicles, their features and real owners. This allowed them to make fake documents for cars ‘with history’ or not customs cleared.

In case of driver’s licenses, the fraudsters used the following scheme: in the database, they found a law-abiding driver who had similar data to the offender and printed a fake with a new photo.

The clandestine center has been operating for several years.

During the searches at the suspects’ homes, the law enforcement seized:

• two colour Datacard SP55 printers for double-sided printing on plastic cards, which were used for counterfeiting;
• computers and mobile phones with evidence of illegal activity;
• forged driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations ready for sale;
• holograms;
• accounting records.

Two offenders have been notified of suspicion of crime under Article 199-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (manufacture, storage, purchase, transportation, shipment, import to Ukraine for use in the sale of goods, sale of counterfeit money, government securities, state lottery tickets, excise stamps or holographic security features). The court is to decide on the measure of restraint.

The investigation is underway to identify and prosecute all those involved.

The SSU Cyber Security Department carried out the operation together with the National Police under the supervision of the Prosecutor General’s Office.