A major forgery factory operating from a Stratford home has been shut down after a Ukrainian national, Sergiy Mykhaylov, 41, was caught running an extensive fake ID scam. Using computers and printers, Mykhaylov produced tens of thousands of counterfeit documents, fulfilling orders from across the United Kingdom.
Police seized a vast array of forged materials during the raid, including over 3,000 forged identity documents, 3,500 passport-style photographs, 300 counterfeit Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) cards, 40,000 fake bank cards, and £15,000 in cash.
In June 2018, the National Crime Agency (NCA) arrested Mykhaylov outside his workplace in Hackney. He was caught handing six forged ID cards to his middleman, Genadijs Kalinins, 40, from Essex. Kalinins was responsible for sourcing fake documents for organised crime groups, assisting illegal immigrants in obtaining jobs and housing within the UK.
The NCA investigation uncovered the extensive reach of their criminal network, which facilitated various fraudulent activities nationwide.
Both men pled guilty to multiple fraud offences and were sentenced at Blackfriars Crown Court in September 2018. Kalinins received a prison term of six years and three months, while Mykhaylov was sentenced to five years and six months.
At Southwark Crown Court this week, Mykhaylov admitted that his criminal earnings exceeded £1.14 million, although he declared only £29,518 in assets. He has been ordered to pay this amount within three months or face an additional 18 months in prison.
Kalinins confessed to earning £559,520 from the operation and declared assets worth £313,539, which include his home and a BMW. Failure to pay will result in an extra three years of imprisonment.
Mark McCormack, NCA Branch Commander, stated, “The forged documents produced by Mykhaylov and Kalinins fuel money laundering, fraud, and immigration crime. They aided organised criminals who exploit vulnerable people. These two men will have no benefit from their crimes – we’re stripping every penny from them.”
He added, “This case proves that prison isn’t the only punishment. The NCA is relentless in chasing criminals for the full proceeds of their illegal gains.”
Originally published by UKNIP.
