Dubai clamps down on fake documents

Dubai officials have detected more than 1,000 fake documents using new passport-reading and biometrics technology.

The rollout of the technology has helped Dubai border officials find 1,304 documents - 996 of which were forged - Ahmad Al Merri, director general of the General Directorate for Residency and Foreigners’ Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA), told Gulf News.

"GDRFA is striving to ensure homeland security by adopting the highest technological standards for detecting the most sophisticated fake passports, thereby improving the ability of our officers at passport control points to identify falsified passports quickly and efficiently," Al Merri said.

New passport technology is making forgery more difficult, prompting people to try new tactics. Al Merri has seen a rise in cases where individuals try to enter Dubai using the passport of someone who looks similar.

Officials have been warned to look out for such attempts and GDRFA has initiated training courses alongside the adoption of new technologies. The detection process has three levels, with passports deemed dubious by the front desk passed on to GDRFA staff with more sophisticated equipment.