About the ECID
The Expertise Centre for Identity Fraud and Documents (ECID) is the central point within the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee for tackling document and identity fraud. We work closely with the National Police to prevent and combat fraud, thereby contributing to a safer Netherlands.
A central partner in the security chain
The ECID is at the heart of the Dutch security chain. We cooperate intensively with the National Police and the Public Prosecution Service. In addition, we are an important partner for various ministries and for organisations that play a key role in the identity chain, such as the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) and local councils. We also share our knowledge with enforcement and investigative services both domestically and internationally.
What are our tasks?
The core of our work is specialist investigation. Our experts examine the authenticity of all kinds of official documents, such as passports, ID cards, driving licences, and residence documents. They also conduct facial comparison research. If a forgery is found? We then draw up a technical official report that can be used in investigations.
But we do more than just respond to fraud cases. An important task is sharing our knowledge to prevent fraud. Our specialists provide training and courses at various levels to partners. This includes a basic course in document control, but also in-depth training and awareness sessions for local councils.
Finally, we also look ahead. The world of document fraud is constantly changing. Therefore, we identify and analyse new trends. For example, we investigate how fraudsters respond to war situations or a changing labour market. We use this information to provide targeted advice to our partners.
How are we organised?
For the daily support of our partners, we have four regional ID desks. These desks are located in Eindhoven, Rotterdam, Zwolle, and at Schiphol, and are the first point of contact for questions and doubts.
In addition, the ECID has two specialised Falsification Desks in Schiphol and Ter Apel. These desks conduct more in-depth research for specific processes, such as border control and asylum procedures. The Falsification Desk at Schiphol has another important task: outside office hours, they take over the work of the regional ID desks.