Council prosecutes mailbox company for accepting fake ID

A mail forwarding company has been fined after accepting fake identification – including a document that used the identity of a famous footballer. 

In what is believed to be the first prosecution of its kind, Mailbox Group Ltd was fined £16,000 following an investigation by Islington Council.  

Like other mail forwarding businesses, Mailbox Group Ltd receives letters and parcels on behalf of their clients, and then forward them on to them. The law that governs mail forwarding businesses requires that the business keep certain documents when taking on clients so that their clients can be identified if required. 

However, the council's investigation revealed Mailbox Group Ltd's identification process to be alarmingly insufficient. For example, the company accepted a fake ID that should have been identified as false. The police were immediately able to identify the ID as fake because it used the identity of a famous footballer. 

Mailbox Group Ltd’s failure to carry out appropriate checks also hampered an investigation into illegally imported drugs by some clients as the acceptance of a fake ID prevented authorities from identifying key suspects.  

The judge remarked: “Because of these offences and lapses in protocols, serious criminality has taken place, which we have no doubt in our minds has led to misery, and perhaps even worse, for people who have consumed illegally imported drugs.”  

They added: “We are more than alarmed that, in the space of a year, the company has done next to nothing to improve the standards to which it holds its customers. We find that outrageous.” 

At Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court, Mailbox Group Ltd was convicted on four counts of failing to comply with section 75 (6)(e) of the London Local Authorities Act 2007. They received a fine of £4,000 for each offence, resulting in a total penalty of £16,000. The company are appealing the convictions. 

Cllr John Woolf, Executive Member for Community Safety, said: “Everyone in Islington deserves to feel safe. 

“Mailbox Group Ltd’s failure to implement even basic checks not only allowed criminals to evade justice but also undermined the safety of our community. 

“We hope this case sends a strong signal to other mail forwarding businesses that complacency is not an option, and we will take robust action.” 

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