PICA Opens Document Forensic Laboratory

The Passport, Immigration & Citizenship Agency (PICA) on Thursday, August 19, officially opened its document forensic laboratory.

With approximately $20 million funding support from the UK Government, the facility is expected to boost the capabilities of the agency in detecting forged documents and in its fight against organised crime and international criminal activities.

Speaking at the official opening of the lab located at 21 West Kings House Road, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of National Security, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, said the Government remains resolute in improving border security.  He said the investment will assist in boosting the integrity of PICA’s system.

“This sort of investment moves us into the 21st century. It moves us into being able to say to our partners, to businesses locally who have to use passports to verify identity that they can trust the systems that we have in place, now that trust is particularly important as we seek to become a digitised society, as we seek to grow our country in the 21st century,” he said.

He thanked the British Government for the investment. “We look forward to the benefits that we know will accrue from this investment,” he said.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PICA, Andrew Wynter, said the lab will improve PICA’s decision-making process and the agency’s overall efficiency and intelligence gathering capabilities.

“It will help us to determine eligibility of passengers entering and will allow for information sharing and the emerging trends from fraudulent travel documents and other breeder documents which will be used to try to obtain citizenship or immigration benefits from the agency,” he said.

He informed that the centralised hub located at the agency’s West Kings House Road facility will provide needed guidance and support to the satellite locations which will be located at the Norman Manley International Airport and Sangster International Airport.

“Through the establishment of a centralised document forensic laboratory and mini laboratories at the two main ports of entry as satellite stations, PICA will improve its efficiency, using reliable and competence-assured scientific methods to identify, analyse, train and provide evidence about suspicious or questionable documents presented to frontline employees at the borders or in offices,” he said.

He noted that 30 employees have been trained to use the necessary equipment.

Mr. Wynter said the lab in conjunction with the agency’s facial recognition system will boost the agency’s detection capabilities.

The CEO noted that over the last five years, the agency has uncovered approximately 700 cases of persons using fraud and fraudulent or forged documents to obtain benefits.

British High Commissioner to Jamaica, His Excellency Asif Ahmad, said the lab will enhance the country’s detection capabilities in identifying fraudulent documents.

“So much trust is placed on a passport, on a birth certificate on many other things that represent who a person is that if that is corrupted, then your entire integrity as a nation is corrupted,” he said.

He added that it also facilitates safer travel and identity protection.