Oman crime: Forgery cases decline by 25% in 2015

Muscat: A fall of 24.8 per cent was seen in forgery crimes in Oman, as 290 cases of forgeries were recorded by the Directorate General of Inquiries and Investigations in the Sultanate in 2015, down from 386 in 2014.
The Royal Oman Police (ROP) considers forgery one of the crimes that need to be combated on a priority basis, especially the forging of official documents, which results in negative impacts financially, morally and socially.
It is also considered an offence that harms the well-being of communities, as it endangers those countries’ financial benefits, as well as individuals’.
Commenting on combating forgeries, Brigadier Rashid Salem Al Badi remarked, “Most of these crimes are serious and the perpetrators will be caught eventually due to technological advances and the equipment that the ROP possesses.”
He added that the Royal Oman Police officials and personnel exerts great efforts in combating these crimes, which includes coordinating with other agencies and using scientific technology to quickly apprehend and arrest criminals.
Al Badi stated that there are three elements to forgery: the first being financial, as the perpetrator provides false information.
The second is the moral element within the crime, and cannot be accomplished unless the criminal willingly commits the crime while fully knowing he is forging facts.
The third element is the financial impact.
Specialists from the ROP’s forensic laboratory use technical and scientific means to determine whether a document is forged.“Most of the time forgers do not know the law and the consequences of forgery, so they believe that forgery is somewhat acceptable,” said Al Badi.
He advised victims to immediately report any loss of personal information,such as IDs, passports, checkbooks or other documents, and refrain from signing blank documents, such as blank checks. The public is also urged to monitor their bank accounts regularly via emails, SMS and visiting their bank on a monthly basis, along with storing all bank transaction information in safe places and never leaving documents in their vehicles.