East London Duo Jailed for Massive £1 Million Fake ID Scam
Two East London men have landed six-year jail sentences each after running a sophisticated fake ID racket. Their operation churned out more than 40,000 counterfeit UK identity documents, supplying organised crime groups nationwide.
£70 a Fake Licence – Holograms Sold Extra
Bilal Iqbal, 25, and Ummad Ahmed, 32, were snapped by the National Crime Agency (NCA) on 21 January 2025, just hours before boarding a Dubai-bound flight. Both pled guilty to forging false identity documents and money laundering.
The pair ran their scheme undetected for eight years, charging £70 for a fake driving licence. Extras like holograms and express delivery came at an extra cost. Their profits were hidden through a sham window cleaning business, investigators uncovered.
During a dramatic raid, officers seized industrial printing machines, laminators, blank ID cards, and over £20,000 in cash.
Fake IDs Fueled Crime and Drug Smuggling
The forged documents were linked to serious organised crime, including international drug trafficking. One user, Eddie Burton, had been convicted for smuggling over 300kg of Class A drugs into the UK using IDs crafted by Iqbal and Ahmed.
Harsh Sentence at Snaresbrook Crown Court
Iqbal and Ahmed were sentenced on 22 May at Snaresbrook Crown Court. The judge slammed their scheme as a “criminal enterprise of exceptional scale and impact.”
NCA Warns Fake IDs Fuel Serious Crime
“Fake identity documents are a key enabler of serious organised crime, from drug smuggling to illegal immigration and fraud. This case shows the scale of the threat and the sophistication of the criminals involved. We will keep targeting those who profit from document fraud and endanger public safety.” – National Crime Agency Spokesperson
