Chinese make up majority of cases arrested for holding fake passports

BANGKOK: -- Chinese accounted for more than half the foreigners arrested last year for holding counterfeit passports and attempting to use Thailand as a transit destination to sneak into third countries, the Immigration Police said yesterday.

Of the 235 economic refugees arrested last year, 120 were Chinese, followed by 50 Pakistanis, 38 Indians, 17 Bangladeshis and 10 Sri Lankans, Maj-General Pongpat Pongcharoen, deputy commissioner of the Immigration Police, told reporters yesterday.

Immigrants mostly acquire the fake passports from human-smuggling gangs at high prices.

Yesterday, 11 illegal immigrants arrested recently at Bangkok International Airport were taken for police re-enactments. Five of those arrested were Chinese, while there were four Indians and two Pakistanis.

-- The Nation 2004-05-10

Airport crackdown on false passports

Travellers aim to enter third country

BANGKOK: -- Immigration police are cracking down on foreign nationals using fake passports to enter a third country.

Immigration Police Bureau deputy commissioner Pongsapat Pongcharoen said the number of illegal passport holders trying to slip into third countries, including the United States and Britain, was increasing.

People caught trying to transit through Thailand on false documents are likely to be sent to jail for six months, deported and blacklisted.

Immigration police yesterday took 11 people charged with carrying illegal passports to Don Muang airport for a re-enactment.

The suspects _ five Chinese, four Indians and two Pakistanis _ were caught separately at the airport as they were leaving the country.

Police believe fake passport rackets are linked to international human trafficking and drug networks. Women lured into working as prostitutes are sent to third countries carrying fake passports.

Last year, police arrested 235 people with fake passports who were heading for third countries _ 120 Chinese, 50 Pakistanis, 38 Indians, 17 Bangladeshis and 10 Sri Lankans.

The Chinese suspects came to Thailand looking for a jump-off point to the US, Canada, Singapore, Korea and Malaysia. The Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan offenders were making their way to Britain, Belgium, Portugal, France and the Netherlands.

Pol Maj-Gen Pongsapat said police would take action against immigration police found to be helping the gangs.

Police have imposed strict controls on incoming and outgoing passengers at Don Muang airport to catch illegal passport holders.

They kept a close eye on travellers with a final destination other than the country of origin.

--The Post 2004-05-10

Fake passport arrests

BANGKOK: -- Four Indians are among 11 people taken into custody by immigration police for travelling through Thailand allegedly with illegal passports, reports said on Monday.

Two Pakistanis and five Chinese were also among those picked up from Don Muang airport on Sunday, police said. If found guilty, they will be jailed for six months, deported and blacklisted.

Immigration police bureau deputy commissioner P. Pongcharoen was quoted as saying by the Bangkok Post that the number of illegal passport holders trying to slip into other countries, including the US and Britain, through Thailand is increasing.

--PTI 2004-05-11

Airport crackdown on false passports

Travellers aim to enter third country

BANGKOK: -- Immigration police are cracking down on foreign nationals using fake passports to enter a third country.

Immigration Police Bureau deputy commissioner Pongsapat Pongcharoen said the number of illegal passport holders trying to slip into third countries, including the United States and Britain, was increasing.

People caught trying to transit through Thailand on false documents are likely to be sent to jail for six months, deported and blacklisted.

Immigration police yesterday took 11 people charged with carrying illegal passports to Don Muang airport for a re-enactment.

The suspects _ five Chinese, four Indians and two Pakistanis _ were caught separately at the airport as they were leaving the country.

Police believe fake passport rackets are linked to international human trafficking and drug networks. Women lured into working as prostitutes are sent to third countries carrying fake passports.

Last year, police arrested 235 people with fake passports who were heading for third countries _ 120 Chinese, 50 Pakistanis, 38 Indians, 17 Bangladeshis and 10 Sri Lankans.

The Chinese suspects came to Thailand looking for a jump-off point to the US, Canada, Singapore, Korea and Malaysia. The Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan offenders were making their way to Britain, Belgium, Portugal, France and the Netherlands.

Pol Maj-Gen Pongsapat said police would take action against immigration police found to be helping the gangs.

Police have imposed strict controls on incoming and outgoing passengers at Don Muang airport to catch illegal passport holders.

They kept a close eye on travellers with a final destination other than the country of origin.

--The Post 2004-05-10

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If Thai Immigration can spot false passports from other countries.

I'm a Czechoslovakian.