6 December 2005 -- A gang of Russian police officers has been arrested for allegedly producing and selling fake Kremlin passes, government license plates, and letters bearing the forged signature of President Vladimir Putin.
A spokesman for Russia's Federal Security Service, Sergei Ignatchenko, told journalists on 6 December that more than 20 people were detained after a special investigation showed members of organized crime groups were driving in cars bearing government and police license plates.
The spokesman said the quality of the forged documents was so good it was "impossible" for the naked eye to detect that they were fake.
Some sets of documents allowing access to restricted sites were reportedly sold for as much as $200,000. Investigators found that over 750 passes to police headquarters had been obtained illegally.
(Gazeta.Ru/Newsru.com/dpa)