Turning false identity documents into forensic intelligence: understanding crime and fostering security using forensic science

Detecting and understanding organised forms of crime involved in the manufacture, diffusion and/or use of false identity and travel documents is a complex challenge. It is postulated that a monitoring approach rooted in the systematic examination and profiling of counterfeit and forged documents using forensic science methods shall provide novel, relevant and useful crime intelligence. A method has been developed to process, manage and compare systematically features of false identity documents. The method enables the detection and monitoring of patterns, trends and links between cases. Their interpretation through different forms of analysis points to potential crime groups, prolific offenders and prominent modus operandi. This article highlights how such forensic intelligence may support the elicitation of hypotheses and contribute to the understanding of crime markets and criminal networks. Such a systematic and scientific processing of any forensic science data can foster a more phenomenological and traceological approach to crime and security