East London duo sentenced following major National Crime Agency investigation into counterfeit identity operation
Two East London men have been jailed for six years each after running a highly sophisticated fake ID business that provided more than 40,000 counterfeit UK identity documents to organised crime groups across the country.
Bilal Iqbal, 25, and Ummad Ahmed, 32, were arrested by National Crime Agency (NCA) officers on 21 January 2025, just hours before they were due to fly to Dubai. Both pleaded guilty to making false identity documents and money laundering, among other offences.
£70 Per Fake Licence – Extra for Holograms
Operating undetected for eight years, the duo charged £70 per fake driving licence, with additional costs for security features such as holograms and express delivery. They laundered proceeds through a bogus window cleaning business, investigators revealed.
During the raid, officers seized industrial printing equipment, laminators, blank ID cards, and over £20,000 in cash.
Linked to Major Drug Smuggler
The NCA found that the forged documents had been used to enable serious and organised criminal activity, including international drug trafficking. One such user, Eddie Burton, was previously convicted for smuggling over 300kg of Class A drugs into the UK using a fake ID made by the duo.
Sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court
Iqbal and Ahmed were sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 22 May, where the judge described their operation as a “criminal enterprise of exceptional scale and impact.
NCA: Fake IDs Enable Serious Crime
A spokesperson for the National Crime Agency said:
“Fake identity documents are a key enabler of serious organised crime, from drug smuggling to illegal immigration and fraud. This case demonstrates the scale of the threat and the sophistication of the criminals involved. We will continue to target those who profit from document fraud and undermine public safety.”
