VIDEO: How the world’s leading passport forger was arrested in Bangkok

 

 

A fascinating documentary reveals how Thailand’s Immigration Bureau arrested key players of a gang who supplied forged passports of the highest quality to foreign criminals, refugees, migrants and even individuals suspected of having links to terrorist networks.

 

Forging a New Identity by Channel News Asia recounts the arrest in 2016 of Iranian national, Hamid Reza Jafary.

 

Nicknamed the ‘The Doctor’, Jafary was a highly skilled passport forger who was wanted in several countries, including Thailand, Britain, France, New Zealand and Australia.

 

Jafary was believed to have been running his passport forgery network for almost twenty years from Thailand and elsewhere but had been able to evade arrest as police had been unable to properly identify him due to the fact he travelled using a variety of counterfeit passports and regularly moved from one location to another.  

 

He was eventually arrested at an unassuming townhouse in Bangkok in February 2016.

 

In his possession were 173 forged passports and highly sophisticated stamping machines and other devices. 

 

Other members of Jafary’s network were also arrested including a Pakistani national who had been staying in Thailand on a retirement visa and an Iranian who was arrested in Pattaya - which in the documentary was described as a hub for the trade in counterfeit passports. 

 

The documentary also reveals the challenges Thailand’s Immigration Bureau faces trying to combat the illicit trade in counterfeit documents and links the trade has to serious organised crime. 

 

It also gives an insight into why the Thai authorities were so eager to install biometric scanning equipment at all border checkpoints. 

 

Jafary, who is now in jail in Thailand, speaks exclusively in the interview where he says he only ever helped people in need, such as refugees and migrants looking to escape hardship in their own country in search of a better life overseas.

 

However, the documentary maintains that Jafary sold his ‘Triple A’ quality counterfeit passports to anyone who could pay, including gangsters, drug traffickers and even people with connections to terrorists. 

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-09-18

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22 minutes ago, webfact said:

where he says he only ever helped people in need, such as refugees and migrants looking to escape hardship in their own country in search of a better life overseas.

Oh my gosh what a travesty of justice, he's a regular saint, he only did it to help others in need... let him go please and find in your hearts to compensate the man for being wrongfully arrested...

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

Oh my gosh what a travesty of justice, he's a regular saint, he only did it to help others in need... let him go please and find in your hearts to compensate the man for being wrongfully arrested...

the least we at TV cold do is set up a go fund me page for this modern day Nicholas Winton

Edited September 18, 20196 yr by wombat

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Pattaya - which in the documentary was described as a hub for the trade in counterfeit passports. 

So much for a 'World Class Family Resort'....

After interpol had the Indian police confiscate my passport in 1973, I had 6 passports. 

biometric scanning at the border crossings, but in between border crossings no paperwork needed....

I wonder if he completed the TM30

 

Gives a different slant to the government crackdowns on immigration and why it’s getting more and more strict now. 

I’d much rather a few more difficulties than have criminals and terrorists running around easily 

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Jafary was believed to have been running his passport forgery network for almost twenty years from Thailand

Kudos to the Boys in Brown for their crack detective work!...

you can run but can't hide, soon or later it will catch up with you... but he only helped people in need

1 hour ago, geoffrobbo said:

I wonder if he completed the TM30

 

Boring !

Big Joke is in the docu, was a good watch btw....had no idea the MH307 crash is connected to some guy in pattaya with fake passport ????

Edited September 18, 20196 yr by ThomasThBKK

I thought the new biometrics made this all moot. Unless, of course, someone from immigration is on the inside of this scam, but that could never happen in LOS.

2 minutes ago, quandow said:

I thought the new biometrics made this all moot. Unless, of course, someone from immigration is on the inside of this scam, but that could never happen in LOS.

there are still many passports in circulation that don't support biometrics

2 minutes ago, quandow said:

I thought the new biometrics made this all moot. Unless, of course, someone from immigration is on the inside of this scam, but that could never happen in LOS.

You should read the article or watch the video before you comment..

2 hours ago, geoffrobbo said:

I wonder if he completed the TM30

That must be how they got him, he filed it for all of his 69 passports.

I notice the usual Thai bashers from the threads where immigration has arrested some people with false passports, are missing from this thread.

 

I'm sure their brain is now working overtime though, so soon they will be here as they will find a way to bash Thai immigration

4 minutes ago, ThePioneer said:

I notice the usual Thai bashers from the threads where immigration has arrested some people with false passports, are missing from this thread.

 

I'm sure their brain is now working overtime though, so soon they will be here as they will find a way to bash Thai immigration

It certainly made me understand better why biometric systems got installed hastily, i have to admit.

10 hours ago, webfact said:

but had been able to evade arrest as

........he left a trail of genuine brown envelopes behind him.....

4 hours ago, tgw said:

there are still many passports in circulation that don't support biometrics

True, but you only get to cross once with any given passport, at which point, your biometrics are recorded. Then your biometrics are in the system and attached to the passport that you used. Future crossings with a different passport will be a problem.

9 hours ago, timendres said:

True, but you only get to cross once with any given passport, at which point, your biometrics are recorded. Then your biometrics are in the system and attached to the passport that you used. Future crossings with a different passport will be a problem.

I will have plenty of problems then...

15 hours ago, MadMuhammad said:

Gives a different slant to the government crackdowns on immigration and why it’s getting more and more strict now. 

I’d much rather a few more difficulties than have criminals and terrorists running around easily 

 

Only problem is there is a rather significant number of ahem 'dark influences' that exist within the immigration and law enforcement agencies in Thailand that means criminals and terrorists can still run around freely if they are willing to pay for the privilege. But an 80 yr old retiree from Devon will still be subject to the expectation that he continually self reports his location.  

3 minutes ago, jonclark said:

 

Only problem is there is a rather significant number of ahem 'dark influences' that exist within the immigration and law enforcement agencies in Thailand that means criminals and terrorists can still run around freely if they are willing to pay for the privilege. But an 80 yr old retiree from Devon will still be subject to the expectation that he continually self reports his location.  

The unfortunate cost of being legit living in a country where money talks. I agree the system is broken but they’re trying to move in the right direction. 

16 hours ago, sfokevin said:

Kudos to the Boys in Brown for their crack detective work!...

Not a really fair comment,only part of te text quoted .

Your sarcasm is not justified unless you give kudos to the police and immigration 'elsewhere;

who did not catch him either.!!

11 minutes ago, MadMuhammad said:

The unfortunate cost of being legit living in a country where money talks. I agree the system is broken but they’re trying to move in the right direction. 

 I am glad that you that they are moving in the right direction. I am slightly less positive about what exactly it is they are trying to do.  I feel the current system is based on inefficiencies, complacency and money (fees, fines, other costs - call it what you will).IMHO the whole system needs to be scrapped and a new modern system that includes longer stay visas - 5, 10 20 years, -  criminal checks for visa applications, and longer processing times would allow people to be more effectively screened and once screened they can get on with their lives and that ultimately benefits the Thailand. If Thai residents are secure and can put down roots, they will invest in property, businesses and people and that is a positive.  The utter waste of manpower at immigration constantly processing visas/re entry permits / TM (choose a number) cards is mind boggling. Reallocating that manpower to the ports of entry and proactively searching for unwanted people makes Thailand safer - like in the OP. 

 

Sorry...off on a tangent there. 

 

 

18 minutes ago, MadMuhammad said:

they’re trying to move in the right direction.

Actually not. They're simply consolidating their power and continuing to act without impunity, in an obvious way, even to publicly exonerate the inexorable - someone who served lengthy prison time on serious drug charges recently, the superficial lies in the face of undisputed evidence just reminds us of the face of the people in the cabinet.

 

 

That was a fascinating watch, now I guess I know why Imm are giving us all a harder time.

Forging pasports for 20 years must have made a lot of dosh.

He will need it now.