Authorities dismantled a ring producing counterfeit diplomas and official government documents.

(Baonghean.vn) -The Security Investigation Agency of the Nghe An Provincial Police has just dismantled a ring that forged official documents and papers of state agencies, organized by Truong Quang Thach (born in 1986), residing in Xuan Hong commune, Nghi Xuan district, Ha Tinh province. They seized many types of forged documents and equipment related to the criminal activity.

In early July 2013, following a request from the Nghe An Department of Industry and Trade to clarify suspected forged documents, the Security Investigation Agency of the Nghe An Provincial Police discovered a ring producing forged documents and papers of state agencies operating in three provinces: Nghe An, Ha Tinh, and Quang Binh, organized by Truong Quang Thach. To carry out the crime, Truong Quang Thach colluded with Nguyen Van Tan (born in 1983) residing in Dong Hoi, Quang Binh; Nguyen Thanh Luan (born in 1972), Nguyen Van Bac (born in 1983), both residing in Le Thuy, Quang Binh; and Pham Hong Tuan (born in 1982) residing in Nghi Loc district, Nghe An, forming a network to find people in need of fake documents, diplomas, and certificates.

Using only scanning, Photoshop, and color printing techniques, Thach directly produced a wide range of fake diplomas and certificates, such as high school diplomas, university degrees, college diplomas, vocational school diplomas, motorcycle and car driving licenses, business licenses, quality inspection stamps, etc., on order for those who needed fake documents, diplomas, and certificates.

Captain Nguyen Hoang, an investigator from the Security Investigation Department of the Provincial Police, said: "The suspects operate very subtly and cunningly, often employing various tactics to evade the police. It took us a great deal of effort to track down the main suspect in this ring, Thach, because Thach never appeared in person to conduct transactions with clients, but mainly communicated via telephone."

After creating the fake diplomas and certificates, Thach would send them to the recipients via transportation services and receive payment in the same way. If a face-to-face transaction was required, they would instruct the customer to go to a secluded location, while Thach would arrive at the meeting point in a taxi, then lower the car window and hand over the goods through the window, ensuring the customer could not see his face.



The suspect, Truong Quang Thach, and the fake diplomas and certificates seized from his home.

At Thach's house, the police seized a color printer, screen printing frames, a computer, a plastic laminating machine, and many types of fake diplomas, fake documents, and fake seals of state agencies. Initially, the suspects confessed that, having learned printing and advertising, Thach used computer techniques to create templates for fake diplomas and certificates, forged seals of state agencies, and purchased counterfeit anti-counterfeiting stamps, then sold them to customers for prices ranging from 500,000 VND to 2,000,000 VND. Tan, Luan, Bac, and Tuan were responsible for finding customers; if a customer agreed, they would scan their ID card, photo, and personal information and send it via email, which Thach would then use to create the fake diplomas and seals.

The security investigation agency determined that Thach had directly produced nearly 100 types of documents, diplomas, certificates, and seals for various clients. He made a fortune from this illegal work, but Thach was also addicted to drugs, so he squandered all the money he earned on narcotics.

According to investigators, this fake diploma ring involved numerous individuals in Ha Tinh, Nghe An, and Quang Binh provinces, passing through multiple intermediaries before the diplomas were delivered directly to the recipients. In this case, the Security Investigation Agency has indicted five defendants and identified many other related individuals. The case is currently under further investigation.

Minh Tam – PX15 CANA