The upgrade includes the linking of Trinidad and Tobago’s Integrated Border Management System (IBMS) to the international Electronic Documentation Information System of Network (EDISON), which contains images of over 3,000 genuine and fake travel document samples from over 200 countries.
This database is used for verifying the security features of fraudulent passports.
According to National Security Minister Jack Warner, “While to date there have been no detected cases of counterfeiting or tampering with Trinidad and Tobago Machine-Readable Passports, there have been attacks on the systems in other countries. Identity theft and the use of fraudulent documents are major components of the transnational crime problem.
"Therefore the upgrade of our technology will keep us ahead of the fraudsters where the TT passports are concerned and will also assist in protecting against crimes involving the use of passports and travel documents from other countries.
The Immigration Division is already able to trace lost and stolen passports through a linkage with the Interpol Lost and Stolen Travel Documents Database. By linking to the EDISON system we will be able to better detect persons attempting to use fraudulent or counterfeit documents to enter Trinidad and Tobago or any of the other 200 countries that are in the EDISON network.”
Last October, Cabinet approved the Strengthening Technical Capacity (STC) project, proposed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This includes an upgrade of the Information Technology equipment at the Document Examination Laboratory.
The upgrade is scheduled to start in January 2013 and will also include the training and certification of Immigration Officers in Forensic Counterfeit Examination, and will be done through the IOM and the University of the West Indies.
The Immigration Division is already able to trace lost and stolen passports through a linkage with the Interpol Lost and Stolen Travel Documents Database. By linking to the EDISON system we will be able to better detect persons attempting to use fraudulent or counterfeit documents to enter Trinidad and Tobago or any of the other 200 countries that are in the EDISON network.”
Last October, Cabinet approved the Strengthening Technical Capacity (STC) project, proposed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This includes an upgrade of the Information Technology equipment at the Document Examination Laboratory.
The upgrade is scheduled to start in January 2013 and will also include the training and certification of Immigration Officers in Forensic Counterfeit Examination, and will be done through the IOM and the University of the West Indies.
A state of the art Video Spectoral Comparator which will boost efficiency and effectiveness in the detection of fraudulent or tampered documents is being installed at the Documentation Examination Laboratory.
Acting Chief Immigration Officer Keith Sampson said, “Persons using fraudulent documents to enter Trinidad and Tobago are doing so not only for economic reasons. Some of them may be drug traffickers, international criminals and perpetrators of human trafficking.”
The Edison system will complement the proposed E-Passport or digital passport which Minister Warner is hoping to come on stream by 2017.
Acting Chief Immigration Officer Keith Sampson said, “Persons using fraudulent documents to enter Trinidad and Tobago are doing so not only for economic reasons. Some of them may be drug traffickers, international criminals and perpetrators of human trafficking.”
The Edison system will complement the proposed E-Passport or digital passport which Minister Warner is hoping to come on stream by 2017.
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