UK Government donates forgery detection equipment to clamp down on illegal migration

In a ceremony held on the week commencing the 9th of August 2015, the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Robert W Gibson CMG, formally handed over specialist forgery detection equipment to the Bangladesh Special Branch, in an effort to tackle immigration crime.

This equipment will be used by immigration officers at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to detect false and counterfeit travel documents and prosecute criminals trying to use forged documents in order to travel overseas.

It is hoped that this new forgery equipment will help to reduce the number of illegal migrants coming to the UK. This donation also demonstrates the shared commitment from the Bangladeshi and UK governments in tackling organised immigration crime.

The High Commissioner said:

“This sophisticated equipment will assist Special Branch in the detection of forged documents leading to the disruption of overseas crime networks such as those facilitating illegal migration to the United Kingdom.

“This work is set against the dreadful backdrop of human trafficking and smuggling within Southeast Asia which is at the forefront of both the UK and Bangladesh’s political agendas.

“The donation of this equipment will go some way in making both our countries safer by working to prosecute those who seek to circumvent our immigration system.”

The deployment of this equipment is another way to protect the UK’s border. All documents submitted as part of the visa application process are also subjected to rigorous checks before being verified.  In addition the Immigration Enforcement team provides forgery and impostor detection training to host governments, airlines, the British Council, VFS Global other key partners.