Costa del Sol fake UK driving licence lab uncovered by Spanish police

Police have smashed a gang churning out 100 counterfeit UK driving licences a day at a clandestine Costa del Sol lab sold in Britain at 300 euros each.

A British man was one of two alleged ringleaders arrested after a Spanish police investigation sparked by a tip-off from a UK law enforcement agency.

Cops went public with the arrests this Friday as they released video footage of the hi-tech lab.

Nearly 600 forged driving licences and more than 56,000 euros in cash were seized in the operation to take down the criminals, who were operating out of the popular holiday resorts of Mijas Costa and Marbella.

Legitimate courier and parcel delivery companies were used to send the forged documents abroad, mostly to the UK, and intermediary networks employed to hinder the police probe.

As well as falling into the hands of rogue drivers, investigators said today they feared the driving licences had been used to facilitate illegal activities such as fraudulently opening bank accounts or purchasing goods.

In the past immigration overstayers have tried to dupe police with fake driving licences.

Brazilian Nelson Luis de Andrade, who was in the UK illegally, showed officers a photo on his phone that he claimed was a valid driving licence after being stopped in Norwich at the wheel of a Mercedes van. He was jailed in April for three months by Norwich Crown Court.

Confirming the Costa take-down operation, a spokesman for Spain’s National Police said: “Officers have dismantled an international criminal organisation in the Malaga province towns of Mijas Costa and Marbella that specialised in the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit UK driving licences.

“The operation was carried out in collaboration with the Border Security Command of the British Embassy in Spain.

“The network used legitimate parcel delivery companies to distribute the forged documents to the United Kingdom and other European countries, charging around 300 euros for each document.

“Officers also seized 592 forged driving licences, more than 56,000 euros in cash, and a clandestine laboratory capable of producing up to 100 documents per day.

“Two alleged ringleaders of the organisation, of British and Ukrainian nationality, were arrested.

“The investigation began after British authorities informed Spanish officers they had detected and intercepted four postal shipments from Spain containing a total of 287 counterfeit UK driving licences.

“This discovery revealed an ongoing flow of fraudulent documents destined primarily for the United Kingdom.

“Based on this information, investigators focused on a criminal network based on the Costa del Sol that was allegedly engaged in the systematic production and international distribution of counterfeit documents. Police inquiries identified both the members of the organisation and the location where the documents were produced, along with the logistical infrastructure used to ship them.

“During the investigation, officers intercepted another postal package linked to the suspects. With a court-issued warrant, the package was opened, revealing a further 101 counterfeit driving licences.

“As a result, investigators seized a total of 388 fraudulent documents before the operational phase of the investigation.”

The force added in a statement: “The organisation used legitimate courier and parcel delivery companies to send the forged documents abroad.

“The documents were placed in individual envelopes addressed both to end buyers and to intermediaries responsible for further distribution.

“Investigators also found that many envelopes contained documents bearing identities different from those of the recipients, demonstrating the use of intermediary networks to hinder police investigations.

“Although the United Kingdom was the primary destination, packages were also sent to countries including Italy, Germany, France, and Saudi Arabia.

“The investigation further established that the criminal organisation charged approximately 300 euros for each counterfeit driving licence, generating substantial profits due to the high volume of production and international distribution uncovered during the investigation.

“The organisation's customers were mainly residents of the United Kingdom.

“In the UK, a driving licence is commonly used as a form of identification for numerous administrative and financial procedures, making this type of forgery particularly valuable for criminal purposes and facilitating illegal activities such as fraudulently opening bank accounts or purchasing goods.

“The arrest of the British and Ukrainian nationals, considered the organisation’s ringleaders, occurred in the final phase of the operation.

“Officers also carried out three searches at properties linked to the network. Nearly 41,000 dollars' worth of cryptocurrency was also seized during those searches as well as the cash in euros, the counterfeit UK driving licences, and a large quantity of computer equipment and documentary evidence relevant to the investigation.

“The clandestine laboratory was equipped with high-precision industrial machinery for manufacturing forged documents.

“Among the seized equipment were high-value laser and inkjet printers, thermal embossing machines, precision scanners, laminators, plastic laminating machines, and various materials commonly used in document forgery, including OVI inks and security kinegrams.”