Thousands of birth, death certificates stolen

Denver County's vital statistics office

DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- About 2,000 blank birth certificates and 300 blank death certificates were stolen earlier this month from the Denver County vital statistics office in Colorado, a police spokesman said Saturday.

Police Det. John White said terrorist interests -- someone using the documents to illegally enter the United States, take on a new identity or otherwise use them "in a fraudulent manner" -- are "absolutely" a concern.

Denver police have passed along information on the case to local, state and national law enforcement agencies as well as Interpol, a law enforcement agency that works on cases and with legal authorities around the world.

The blank documents were discovered missing April 9, when an office clerk went into a supply room to retrieve some death certificates and noticed an open package, White said.

A subsequent search revealed that a carton of birth certificates was also gone. Authorities did not find any signs of forced entry in the room, he added.

Police have no suspects in the case.

"One thing that we have going for us is that the birth certificates and death certificates are both numbered," White said. "So if any of these birth or death certificates are used, we'll be tipped off because of the numbers that are on them."

An electronic seal was also stolen, White said, but he declined to elaborate on its function or capability.