WASHINGTON — Background checks meant to prevent criminals from buying guns can be bypassed by using false identification papers, a report published by the General Accounting Office said.

The congressional investigative unit said Wednesday its undercover agents had used counterfeit drivers' licenses to purchase a hoard of firearms, including semi-automatic rifles, from federal-approved gun stores in five states — Virginia, West Virginia, Montana, New Mexico and Arizona.

The investigation was requested by Sen. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., concerned over the National Instant Criminal Background Checks System, set up after the 1993 Brady Law to prevent guns falling into the wrong hands.

"When we voted for the Brady Law we expected that we would weed out criminals and children," Waxman said in an interview after the GAO report was released.

"The system takes whatever name the dealer provides and searches for a criminal history. But it never checks to see if that name is real," Waxman said.

"The name could be 'Bugs Bunny' and as long as there is no criminal record, the gun can be sold," he added.

The GAO inquiry also uncovered irregularities and violations in the implementation of gun control laws.

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One Arizona proprietor told an undercover agent he would not need to run a NICS check because the firearm had been made over 100 years ago, it said.

And in a New Mexico outlet, a salesman recommended the agent's friend stand in for him in the computerized check after the original applicant was asked to wait three days for clearance.

Agents also attempted to buy firearms over the Internet. Two individual sellers refused to post weapons but did agree to meet the buyers in person, saying that no identification would be necessary.

The National Rifle Association said the faults highlighted in the report did not lie with gun controls. "It's really not an issue of firearms or the system, it's an issue of fake IDs... No check system will be completely fool-proof until the ID problem is fixed," NRA spokesman Bill Powers told Reuters.

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