Fraud ring dismantled near Montreal: 12 arrested, millions of dollars stolen

Twelve arrested in SQ fraud investigation Operation OPTIQUE targeted a cell that reproduced government-issued ideas to defraud millions of dollars from banks and public agencies.

Twelve people were arrested Tuesday in the Montreal area for forgery of government documents, and acts of fraud committed against public institutions and banks.

The arrests were made as part of the Surete du Quebec's OPTIQUE project, aimed at dismantling a criminal network that included employees of some of these public institutions.

The investigation was launched in 2016 in response to suggestions that a criminal cell was producing high-quality fake government-issued ID's to carry out fraudulent transactions with government agencies and banking institutions throughout Quebec.

The total amount of money defrauded by this network is estimated to be several million dollars.

About $425,000 in assets were frozen.

The investigation was headed by the SQ's financial crime division.

Details of the investigation can be found below:

Infographic courtesy of the Surete du Quebec.