New crime: Forged eye biometrics recognition stamps

Published 22 July 2008

How accurate is iris scanning biometric technology? read on: Three individuals are arresed at the Dubai airport for smuggling forged eye biometrics recognition stamps; the criminals’ goal: to facilitate the entry to the UAE of individuals who were previously banned

Now here is a story about criminals who keep with the times: The Naturalization and Residency Department in Dubai (DNRD), has referred three people — two Russians and a Moldavian — to Dubai International Airport Police for suspicion of smuggling forged eye biometrics recognition stamps with intent to facilitate the entry to the UAE of individuals who were previously banned. A team of DNRD officers, consisting of preventive security staff and airports investigation department personnel, succeeded in arresting a 17-year old Russian youth, who was captured at Dubai airport, after he surrendered 72 fake eye biometric recognition stamps. Another suspect, a 34-year-old Russian, who received the bag containing the fake stamps, was also captured as part of the same manoeuvre. A third suspect, a 21 year old female holder of Moldavian passport was also arrested at the airport with a laptop and five ink pads and later she acknowledged that she was going to deliver them to the first suspect. The Dubai International Airport team prepared a criminal report against the three and referred them to special task forces to investigate.

Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, DNRD Director, revealed that the number of individuals arrested using the iris scan system at the airport reached 1,325 in 2006, then increased to 3,626 in 2007 and 4,382 in the first half of 2008. He thanked the preventive security and investigation staff and the iris scan teams for their great efforts, saying that their strict procedures and focused approach stopped those criminals. He also thanked the team of the General Administration of Criminal Investigation in Dubai.