After a 10 month investigation, Peel police nab master forger

Quite frankly, I love my passport. It takes me pretty much wherever I want to go in the world and even keeps a series of colourful pages of stamps and visas.

Unfortunately, not everyone is entitled to the same privilege of entrance to the location of their choosing.

For those in a compromising situation, a new identity facilitated by a false or borrowed passport can mean the first steps to a new beginning or the perpetuation of a fraud.

Not only used for immigration purposes, a good fake can perpetuate identity theft, drug trafficking and alien smuggling, terrorist activities or can assist in committing financial fraud. When it comes time to verify someone's identity, forgers like Hamdani can throw a wrench in the process, producing fakes not easily detected.

Peel police nab master forger
The Globe and Mail, Canada - Friday, January 18, 2008 - 08:05 AM

Counterfeit passports, travellers cheques and driver's licences seized from an alleged master forger by Peel Regional Police are at the forefront of counterfeiting technology, experts say.

Michael John Hamdani, 49, his son Conan, 24, and three other family members are facing a total of 80 fraud charges after a 10-month police investigation and tips from the public led officers to three locations in Guelph and Brampton containing high-quality forgeries and tools.

"I think that Mr. Hamdani is talented at what he does," Detective Don Jorgensen said. "Although the counterfeit is not perfect, the quality's really good."

Fraud and security consultant Chris Mathers, who has used and purchased forged documents while working undercover for the RCMP, said some features of the forgeries, such as raised printing and images visible under ultraviolet light, show great craftsmanship.

"It's extremely sophisticated and very tightly controlled," Mr. Mathers said.

Police recovered more than $5-million in forged Visa travellers cheques, American Express gift cheques and Canada Post money orders complete with holograms and watermarks. They also found fake Canadian and Pakistani passports, European driver's licences and other government documents, as well as tools such as magnetic encoders and a heated press.

Some tools were made by commercial printers, proving that the forgers also engaged in legitimate services. Constable Tiffany St. Denis said the primary tip came from a silk-screening business.

Mr. Hamdani, a Canadian permanent resident of Pakistani origin, has multiple prior convictions on fraud charges, and caused an international panic in 2003 when he told FBI interrogators that he helped 19 men enter the United States from Canada using his documents. He later admitted it was untrue.

Mr. Jorgensen said the sole motives appear to be financial gain and to use forged supporting documents to obtain real ones. Mr. Mathers agreed these are the most common goals, but said a forger could unwittingly sell identification to extremists.

Mr. Mathers also said a quality fake passport could easily sell for upward of $10,000.

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