Definition of the term «fake documents». Features of forensic technical examination of passport documents made in ID 3 format

Abstract

According to the results of the information review regarding state forged documents and documents that do not belong to the bearers detected by the security agencies, it was established that over the past three years cases of the use of documents that do not belong to the bearer (alien docu ments) were detected on the western border area. The discovered passport documents were valid and had no signs of forgery, but they did not be long to the person who presented them. In practice, if the act using some one else’s document did not cause property damage to the state or other persons, it does not attract a criminal penalty, since there is no responsibil ity for using someone else’s document, and the definition of forged docu ments that could regulate this issue does not exist in Ukrainian legislation. This is a serious gap because it contributes to the growth of cross-border organized crime. Criminals use such passport documents to mastermind various smuggling schemes, channels of drug trafficking and illegal migra tion, trafficking in women and children for the purpose of their further sex ual exploitation. Entire terrorist groups can move from state to state using forged and alien passport documents. This criminal activity causes signifi cant economic losses to the state budgets of many countries, physical and moral harm to innocent persons. Taking into account the norms of interna tional and national legislation, as well as methods of protection of modern passport documents produced in the ID 3 format, there are certain features of the forensic examination of such documents.