Police dismantle an operation making counterfeit documents in Montreal
Posted July 21, 2026 8:16 am.
Last Updated July 21, 2026 1:45 pm.
A “laboratory” for manufacturing counterfeit documents—where fake passports, driver’s licences, and several other official documents were produced—was dismantled just under two weeks ago in Montreal.
The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) revealed on Tuesday that officers from its Economic Crimes and Cybercrime Investigation Unit carried out an operation against this “lab” on July 8, in collaboration with the Montreal and Gatineau police forces, as well as the Laboratoire de sciences judiciaires et de médecine légale.
More than 250 items used to manufacture counterfeit documents were seized, along with three vehicles. One person was also arrested.
According to the SQ, a “wide range” of counterfeit documents could be produced at this “laboratory,” including complete passports from Canada, France, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Italy.
The facility was also capable of producing driver’s licences (Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Florida), birth certificates (Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia), firearms acquisition permits, and Quebec health insurance cards.
“The equipment seized is highly sophisticated, capable of producing high-quality documents,” explained Marie-Hélène Poulin, head of the SQ’s Economic Crimes and Cybercrime Investigation Unit, in a press release.
The police investigation into this case is ongoing, particularly to recover “significant” sums from a bank account. Two vehicles were also seized as proceeds of crime.
The SQ did not disclose the identity of the person arrested. This individual could face several charges, including forgery and the use, possession, or trafficking of a counterfeit document.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
