DCI Busts Syndicate Behind Illegal Issuance of IDs and Passports, Arrests 26

At least 26 individuals, including civil servants, have been nabbed in a sweeping operation targeting a network accused of unlawfully issuing viral government documents through unprocedural means.

According to investigators, the group consisted of staff from the National Registration Bureau, clerks based at key immigration offices, local administrators, businessmen believed to be financiers, and freelance middlemen who linked applicants to corrupt insiders.

Authorities believe civil servants working within registration and immigration departments were central in the scheme as they exploited their privileged access to classified documentsto leak them to outside individuals.

The officials allegedly bypassed standard vetting procedures, fast-tracked approvals and illegally processed documents like National Identity Cards, passports, birth certificates and alien ID cards.

Some of the officials allegedly used their office credentials to authenticate fraudulent applications, while others manipulated processing systems to approve documents for people who did not go through legal verification.

Further, local administrators were linked with the scheme, with investigators stating that some endorsed the applications without conducting mandatory background checks.

In the elaborate scheme, freelance middlemen acted as brokers, identifying clients who were willing to pay for accelerated document processing and connecting them to the rogue officials who could push their applications through.

Of the 26 arrested individuals, some were businessmen believed to have financed and coordinated aspects of the scheme to help sustain the illegal trade. They achieved this by offering financial and logistical support as well as safe locations for storing illicit materials.

The two-day operation led to the recovery of several critical documents, including filled and blank National ID application forms, Fingerprint-taking equipment (slabs, rollers, and related instruments), Birth and Death Certificates, Passports, Official government stamps, and other registration materials.

All these items. according to the DCI, theyare strictly meant to be stored and used within authorised government offices. Their presence in private homes, therefore, was a strong indication of sustained fraudulent activity.

"This criminal enterprise severely compromises the integrity of government systems and exposes the country to grave security risks, including the undocumented entry and exit of individuals," a statement from the DCI read.

All 26 suspects are currently undergoing processing pending arraignment, as detectives work to establish the full scope of documents illegally issued and identify any additional accomplices involved in the scheme.