Counterfeit European passports and UK driving licences are being sold for thousands of pounds to illegal immigrants by Albanian criminals, The Epoch Times has learned.
The sophisticated forgery racket is being advertised in secret social media groups targeting Albanian asylum seekers with promises that the documents will help secure housing and employment in the UK.
In one Facebook group alone, dozens of posts promoting the fraudulent documentation are being published per week by Albanian social media accounts.
Some include videos and pictures of the fake passports and licences being made in what appears to be a makeshift production factory by gloved criminals.
One of the social media groups, set up for Albanians living in London, includes a private messaging chat in which the fraudsters can directly message potential customers.
The Epoch Times joined one of the so-called online communities, where exchanges are carried out mostly in the Albanian language.
In one group titled “Pasaporta European Me Chip Per Drug Anglie”—which translates to European passports with chip for England—fraudsters offer illicit shopping lists of illegal certificates.
They include Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) branded theory test pass certificates that the criminals claim can be used to successfully apply for an authentic UK driving licence.
Those wishing to purchase the illegal documentation are directed to contact a British mobile number via WhatsApp.
The Epoch Times made contact with one of the social media accounts claiming to offer the counterfeit certificates.
After messaging a British mobile number included with the post—which promotes the documents as allowing illegal immigrants to enjoy “a fairytale with the King”—we were told that we could purchase both a fake theory test pass and a practical assessment for 2,040 pounds.
The individual claimed via message to “have someone working inside a DVLA test centre which allows someone else to sit the exam on your behalf.”
They said: “You must have a provisional licence for him to do this as he fills in a free appointment slot with your details. Once done he will provide me with the certificate letter (the one you walk out with at the test centre).
“Plus you don’t pay anything till all is done and you’ve confirmed it on the actual system (booked your practical test) you can’t go wrong.”
A theory test costs 1,020 pounds “paid after” the document is delivered, and a practical test costs 1,020 pounds “upfront,” they claimed.
The social media account associated with the mobile number included pictures of what appeared to be forged DVLA documents and driving licences.
A separate Albanian social media account, which offers forged European passports, claimed in one message exchange on the private community group that some of their documents have sold for up to 50,000 euros (43,000 pounds).
They included videos of the documents being made via a computer by a plastic-gloved individual whose face isn’t shown.
The clip—sent by private message to more than 100 members of the Facebook group—also shows the criminal placing the document under an ultraviolet light, appearing to suggest that the document can bypass airport and authority checks.
Read More: EXCLUSIVE: Albanian Immigrants Offered Fake UK Documents
