Byline: SARA NUWAR and ALAN RIMMER
A PRINT machine bought for pounds 600 on internet auction site eBay has sparked an FBI terror probe. Buyer Matt Watson raised the alarm after he discovered the Datacard machine had been used to forge fake military identities. Worryingly, a Sunday Mirror investigation has traced the printer back to an address in Hawaii close to two US military bases. The FBI has now launched an investigation amid fears that terrorists could be using the forged passes to enter secure bases. Special agent Arnold Laanui from the FBI in Honolulu, said: "It is very important we get to the bottom of this. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We need to find out exactly who has been producing these fake military ID cards." When British print boss Matt Watson bought the second-hand plastic card maker on eBay in January he discovered imprints had been made for passes for the American Defence Agency and the US Marine Corps. Also on the sophisticated tape were several passports and driving licences from Florida and Oklahoma. Mr Watson, 35, tried to raise the alarm with the US embassy and MI5 in London. But after getting no response he contacted the Sunday Mirror. Our investigation has traced the sale of the printing press through three owners in Britain, another in Illinois and finally to Hawaii - home of the Hickam Air Force and Pearl Harbour naval bases. Father-of-two Mr Watson is a director of Lifestyle GB Ltd, a firm based in Rotherham, South Yorks, which specialises in producing plastic loyalty cards for companies. He said: "I felt straight away I could have uncovered a major security risk. It could be that there is an innocent explanation,but there's always a possibility that I have uncovered a terrorist plot or a terrorist cell who are making up identity cards for use in attacks. All the names used on these cards appearon them and have a walk round a to be foreign. There is something very, very suspicious about this."
He said that even if the identity cards were not fakes, it still raised worrying questions.
"At the very least I have the photographs of up to 20 American servicemen with their names, ranks, serial numbers and the bar-codes which might gain access into military installations. If they are genuine, anyone could just put their own photo nuclear bomb site."
Mr Watson discovered more than 40 identity passes on the printer ribbon. Many give full names, dates of births, ranks and the status of department of Navy, Marine and Defence personnel.
One example names a servicewoman and reads: "Department of the Navy, United States of America. Rank: NON PO. DOB: 1979-08-30. Status: AD." It gives the issue date as January 25, 2004. Mr Watson added: "This machine was clearly used to print top-quality identity cards. They would fool the most alert of guards."
Mr Watson bought the machine from T Mobile worker Pawel Kobis, 25, in Luton. Mr Kobis said he bought it on eBay and had it for three weeks before selling it on at a profit.
He said: "I am deeply shocked at this news and will help any way I can. I did not even use it myself - I just checked it worked and that was all."
He said he paid pounds 400 and collected it from businessman Craig Stevens in Lichfield, Staffs, in January. Mr Stevens said: "I got the machine on eBay on September 9 last year from a chap in the States. I never dreamt it could have been used for something like this.
"I bought it to make ID cards for our staff over here at the building contractors where I work. It cost around pounds 500."
When the Sunday Mirror traced the US seller, he said he'd also bought it on eBay last September. Chicago student Dmitry Asetova, 19, purchased the printer for 600 US dollars from Alicia Alcantra at Finderskeepers in Hawaii.
He said: "I haven't been contacted by the American authorities. This is the first I've heard about it. I'm relieved that I didn't get it working."
When confronted at the front gate of her Hawaiian oceanside mansion, Alicia Alcantara and her husband David Brandt said they were unaware of the situation. Mr Brandt said: "We buy and sell so many different things.
"We get a ton of different items from a variety of sources. We will look up the information and talk."
Mr Brandt later said: "In fact we don't show any record of ever having one of those things or selling that. I don't think it was us who had it."
Captain Sean Turner, a spokesman for the US Marine Corps, said: "Looking at the initial facts, it seems very suspicious that there are also driving licences on the machine. I don't think the US Navy would ever be printing such a range of material."
A spokeswoman for MI5 said: "We cannot comment on individual cases or security matters, but we are grateful to members of the public whose vigilance is vital if we are to combat terrorism. We urge anyone with information about possible terrorist activity to call the anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321."
HOW WE TRACED THE PRINTER BACK TO HAWAII
THE ROTHERHAM CONNECTION
Mark Watson buys printer for pounds 600 on eBay in Jan.
THE LUTON CONNECTION
.. he got it from Pawel Kobis, who had it for 3 weeks
THE LICHFIELD CONNECTION
.. Kobis bought it from Craig Stevens last September..
THE CHICAGO CONNECTION
.. & he paid pounds 500 to student Dmitri Asetova on eBay
THE HAWAII CONNECTION
.. David Brandt denies he ever owned machine
CAPTION(S):
SUSPICIOUS: The Datacard machine was used to forge military ID cards (left); CLOSE: Hickam Air base
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