In what is believed to be the first prosecution of its kind, a mail forwarding company has been fined after an investigation by Islington Council revealed it was accepting fake identification.
The investigation found that Mailbox Group Ltd's identification process was ‘alarmingly insufficient’.
The company had failed to realise that one client was using a famous footballer’s identity and its poor process of checks also hampered a drug smuggling investigation.
Mailbox Group Ltd was fined £4,000 for each offence, resulting in a total penalty of £16,000. The company is appealing the convictions.
Cllr John Woolf, executive member for Community Safety, said: ‘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.’
