Spain’s National Police have dismantled an international criminal network based on the Costa del Sol that specialised in producing and distributing counterfeit UK driving licences, arresting two alleged ringleaders and seizing hundreds of forged documents along with a sophisticated clandestine printing laboratory.
The investigation, carried out in the Malaga municipalities of Mijas Costa and Marbella, was conducted in collaboration with the Border Security Command at the British Embassy in Spain.
Police said the organisation used legitimate courier and parcel delivery companies to send fake driving licences to customers in the United Kingdom and several other countries, charging around €300 for each document.
Officers arrested two suspected leaders of the network, a British national and a Ukrainian national, and seized 592 counterfeit UK driving licences, more than €56,000 in cash, cryptocurrency worth almost $41,000, and a clandestine laboratory capable of producing up to 100 forged documents a day.
The investigation began after British authorities alerted Spanish police when they intercepted four postal shipments from Spain containing a total of 287 counterfeit UK driving licences. The discovery suggested an ongoing flow of fraudulent identity documents being shipped primarily to the United Kingdom.
Spanish investigators subsequently identified a criminal organisation operating from the Costa del Sol that was allegedly manufacturing forged documents on a large scale before distributing them internationally. Their enquiries led them to the group’s members as well as the premises where the documents were produced and prepared for shipment.
During the investigation, officers intercepted another parcel linked to the suspects. Following judicial authorisation, they opened the package and found a further 101 counterfeit UK driving licences, bringing the total number of forged documents seized before the final phase of the operation to 388.
Police said the organisation relied on legitimate courier companies to send the counterfeit licences abroad. Each document was placed in an individual envelope addressed either directly to the purchaser or to intermediaries responsible for further distribution.
Investigators also discovered that many envelopes contained identity documents bearing names different from those of the recipients, indicating the use of intermediary networks designed to make police tracing more difficult.
Although most of the shipments were destined for the United Kingdom, investigators also identified parcels addressed to Italy, Germany, France and Saudi Arabia.
According to police, the criminal group earned around €300 for every counterfeit licence it produced, generating substantial profits through the scale of its international operation.
Investigators said the organisation’s customers were mainly UK residents. In Britain, driving licences are widely used as proof of identity for administrative and financial transactions, making them particularly valuable for criminal purposes, including the fraudulent opening of bank accounts and the purchase of goods.
The final phase of the operation saw officers carry out three searches at properties linked to the network.
Alongside the cash, cryptocurrency and forged licences, police seized large quantities of computer equipment and materials used in document forgery.
Officers also uncovered a highly sophisticated clandestine workshop equipped with industrial-grade machinery for manufacturing counterfeit documents. The equipment included high-value laser and inkjet printers, precision scanners, laminating and sealing machines, and specialist security materials such as optically variable inks and holographic security features.
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🚩Desarticulada en #Málaga una organización criminal internacional dedicada a fabricar permisos de conducir falsos del #ReinoUnido 🪪
— Policía Nacional (@policia) June 26, 2026
🔹Utilizaban empresas legales de #paquetería para distribuir la documentación falsificada
➡️300 💶 por documento📄
👮♂️2 detenidos… pic.twitter.com/QhBakAPCgi
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