Five Africans arrested with fake visas

By Suriya Patathayo 
The Nation

 

 

Immigration Bureau chief Pol Lt-General Surachate Hakparn on Wednesday announced the successful arrest of five African men allegedly involved in visa-forging to stay in Thailand.

 

Surachate also revealed that a Police Senior Sergeant Major at the bureau, whose name was not released, was accused of and reportedly confessed to stamping the forged documents for the suspects in exchange for a payment of Bt5,000 per head. The officer was temporarily dismissed from the force, pending a disciplinary probe and criminal investigation, Surachate said. The police said they would check for more accomplices, including a middleman who brought in the foreigners' documents to receive the forged visas. 

 

Surachate said the five foreigners arrested over the forged visa were Olawale Raimi, 33, from Nigeria; Jonas Silva, 39, from Guinea-Bissau; Riches Obbonna Onu, 44, from Nigeria; Tshepo Zuma, 37, from South Africa; and Ouattara Ben Ibrahim, 21, from Ivory Coast. 

 

These five men were among the 12 suspects - found to have been carrying one or two passports with the same photos but with different names and details. The police said they would hunt for the other seven suspects later, Surachate said.

 

Surachate affirmed that his bureau would coordinate with the Department of Consular Affairs to prevent criminals from entering Thailand, employ technology such as retina and facial scanners, and amend the Immigration Act to cover all aspects to boost the visitor-screening efficiency.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30361919

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-1-9

 

The t-shirts gave them away.

 

 

8 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

a Police Senior Sergeant Major at the bureau, whose name was not released, was accused of and reportedly confessed to stamping the forged documents for the suspects in exchange for a payment of Bt5,000 per head.

I would imagine there are plenty more, like him, dotted round the immigration offices around the country, and also in other positions of authority.

To eradicate corruption, you have to try and get rid of the lot, starting at the top !

This article is lacking crucial details to understand what happened.

Visas were forged? Documents were forged? If you can forge a visa, why would you need to forge documents? How can an IO inside Thailand issue a visa, that's done outside of Thailand?

An IO confessed to breaking the law, accepted bribes and "was temporarily dismissed", so next week back to work as usual?

The Nation should try to improve the quality of their articles

Edited January 9, 20197 yr by jackdd

So they can name and shame the foreigners but can't name the Police Senior Sergeant Major at the bureau, who reportedly confessed to stamping the forged documents for the suspects in exchange for a payment of Bt5,000 per head? Which is the more serious crime?

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

How can an IO inside Thailand issue a visa, that's done outside of Thailand?

Surely a crooked Immigration officer can obtain forged visas, which after all are usually only printed on special paper and stuck into passports,  and also forged identification documents for the good African gentlemen.

6 minutes ago, Phuketshrew said:

So they can name and shame the foreigners but can't name the Police Senior Sergeant Major at the bureau, who reportedly confessed to stamping the forged documents for the suspects in exchange for a payment of Bt5,000 per head? Which is the more serious crime?

Correct , many of us know who the real criminals are in LOS...3 weeks and not a word about the off duty cop who shot and killed the French man in cold blood viewed by all on CCTV....

Correct , many of us know who the real criminals are in LOS...3 weeks and not a word about the off duty cop who shot and killed the French man in cold blood viewed by all on CCTV....

Probably nothing else to report .


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11 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

Surely a crooked Immigration officer can obtain forged visas, which after all are usually only printed on special paper and stuck into passports,  and also forged identification documents for the good African gentlemen.

But embassies / consulates which sell these visas are under the ministry of foreign affairs, i don't really see how somebody in the immigration bureau has access to them (unless of course somebody from the ministry of foreign affairs was involved as well)

And then there is a high chance that it would raise suspicion when they leave Thailand. They would have a visa sticker at the page after their entry stamp to Thailand which was obtained while they were in Thailand, so the chance that this would be discovered is quite high, i doubt they are so dumb.

 

So i think there is a good chance that all this is actually not about visas, but about extensions, then it would be very interesting what exactly happened.

Keep looking you will find many many more :))

2 hours ago, jackdd said:

This article is lacking crucial details to understand what happened.

Visas were forged? Documents were forged? If you can forge a visa, why would you need to forge documents? How can an IO inside Thailand issue a visa, that's done outside of Thailand?

An IO confessed to breaking the law, accepted bribes and "was temporarily dismissed", so next week back to work as usual?

The Nation should try to improve the quality of their articles

Perhaps they changed their visa status here in Thailand and the IO issued them with a Non O.

 

I reckon the middle dude has been studying the Thai's by giving it some Wai action in an effort to get off with it .. 

I like the temporarily dismissed bit best about this story it kind of sums everything up with Thailand right now????

1 minute ago, sammieuk1 said:

I like the temporarily dismissed bit best about this story it kind of sums everything up with Thailand right now????

Yes, I've seen that phrase used in other news reports recently. I wonder if perhaps they might mean 'suspended without pay'?

5000 baht to stamp it? cost 5 times that going through an agent with legitimate paperwork.

 

seems officer doing the stamping was not up to current prices ????

2 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Yes, I've seen that phrase used in other news reports recently. I wonder if perhaps they might mean 'suspended without pay'?

Nah, inactive post until he repays his debt ????

A troll post has been removed. 

Don't forget the signs at immigration say no tips. Bribes and donations for criminal action is AOK. 

Big Joke should keep to dark skinned illegals and move well away from the refugee scene....

12 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

So they can name and shame the foreigners but can't name the Police Senior Sergeant Major at the bureau, who reportedly confessed to stamping the forged documents for the suspects in exchange for a payment of Bt5,000 per head? Which is the more serious crime?

What part of “under investigation” escapes your fevered mind? You don’t shame someone until you can be certain of the facts.

14 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

I would imagine there are plenty more, like him, dotted round the immigration offices around the country, and also in other positions of authority.

To eradicate corruption, you have to try and get rid of the lot, starting at the top !

Starting at the top? Did you mean the esteemed Prime Minister Prayut Chan O Cha?

14 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

I would imagine there are plenty more, like him, dotted round the immigration offices around the country, and also in other positions of authority.

To eradicate corruption, you have to try and get rid of the lot, starting at the top !

But fear not.BJ's gonna weed out all the bent ones soon.

Loves a bit of promotion does BJ.

Does not Thaivisa advertise this visa service? No funds needed?

2 minutes ago, Chicken George said:

Does not Thaivisa advertise this visa service? No funds needed?

 

I don't think so, the ad you are probably seeing is most likely posted by  of which Thai Visa has no control of, the power of Google. 

15 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

I would imagine there are plenty more, like him, dotted round the immigration offices around the country, and also in other positions of authority.

To eradicate corruption, you have to try and get rid of the lot, starting at the top !

Imagine the queues at Immigration with only two officers on duty, both trainees!

Must have been bought on the Black Market!!

Good job, keep it up????????????

14 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

So they can name and shame the foreigners but can't name the Police Senior Sergeant Major at the bureau, who reportedly confessed to stamping the forged documents for the suspects in exchange for a payment of Bt5,000 per head? Which is the more serious crime?

If they named him.. think of all the illegals in Thailand that would be seeking his help for their visas? A little common sense please

The visas could have been real, but altered.

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1 hour ago, phitsanulokjohn said:

But fear not.BJ's gonna weed out all the bent ones soon.

Loves a bit of promotion does BJ.

         Type  D , dodgy  visa ,  is big buisness  in LOS .

  Another  sleepless  night ,  for  me. 555