U.S. Customs Seizes More Than 700 Fake IDs At Chicago O'Hare

CHICAGO — U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents seized more than 700 fake driver's licenses over a two-week period in early April at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, according to officials.

Agents confiscated 122 shipments, from April 1 to April 15, containing 743 fake IDs which were hidden in handbags, jewelry boxes and various toys. The counterfeit driver's licenses were bound for Ohio, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, Mississippi, Texas, Connecticut, Utah, Minnesota, South Dakota, Washington and Illinois.

The fake IDs were primarily shipped from China, and agents were able to identify them based on "lack of fine line detail" as well as features inconsistent with government-issued driver's licenses, officials said.

While many fake IDs are used to help underage teens and young adults obtain alcohol, they are increasingly being used for more concerning illicit activity, according to agency officials.

"Some of the major concerns as they relate to fraudulent identity documents include identity theft, worksite enforcement, critical infrastructure protection, fraud linked to immigration-related crimes such as human smuggling and human trafficking, and these documents can be used by those individuals associated with terrorism to minimize their scrutiny undergoing travel screening measures," said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of field operations for the Customs and Border Protection Chicago Field Office.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents routinely inspect incoming and outgoing international flights at 328 ports of entry throughout the country, confiscating narcotics, weapons, currency, prohibited agriculture products and counterfeit goods, among other illicit items, according to the agency.