The three men — two Arabs and an expatriate — were involved in forging iqamas, driving licenses, car registration certificates, health certificates and other government documents.
Police arrested the gang following tip offs from local residents. The arrest of the gang’s leader led to the arrest of the other two men.
Officers confiscated seven laminating machines, two machines that make cards, SR3,000 in cash, three forged driving licenses, two forged iqamas and 550 cards that could be used to make other types of government documents. Images of the logos of government departments, such as the Riyadh Traffic Police, the Passport Department and Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, were also found at the shop.
Police said this is one of the largest counterfeit operations that they have unraveled in Riyadh in recent times. The three men are currently in police custody at Malaz Police Station. Police are investigating whether others are also involved in the racket and trying to trace people who may be in possession of forged documents.
Arab News also learned that forged iqamas and driving licenses are sold for SR600 by other similar groups in the city’s Batha area. Forged documents are popular among runaway workers wishing to remain in the Kingdom illegally.
