Thai immigration police have dismantled two linked transnational operations involving forged passports and identity misuse, following coordinated arrests across Bangkok, Songkhla, and border areas. The cases, announced on 3 July 2026, involve multiple suspects from Sri Lanka, Canada, and Malaysia, and highlight Thailand’s role as a transit hub for illegal travel to Europe and Central Asia.

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In the first case, officers from Immigration Division 2 at Suvarnabhumi Airport arrested Sri Lankan national Mr Kaaviniyan on 31 May 2026 after he attempted to travel to the United Kingdom using a fake Canadian passport in the name of Mr Akiem. Investigators found that the real Mr Akiem, a Canadian national, had allegedly cooperated with the network by allowing his identity to be used and by checking in with an airline to generate a boarding pass for the suspect.

Further investigation linked the case to a wider criminal network operating between Sri Lanka, Canada, and the UK, using Thailand as a transit and facilitation point. Police identified three main groups: a Sri Lankan husband-and-wife pair, Mr Sivakumar and Ms Rukanya, who acted as masterminds and were later arrested in Sadao, Songkhla, while attempting to flee to Malaysia.

A second group involving Mr Dilaxshan, Rukanya’s brother, who escorted clients into Thailand before escaping to Malaysia; and a third group described as identity “mules”, including Mr Akiem and Mr Sayanthan, both Canadian nationals who entered Thailand on 29 May 2026 and allegedly facilitated boarding pass issuance before fleeing. Arrest warrants have been issued for remaining suspects, including those who escaped abroad.

A second case involved a Sri Lankan family travelling under falsified documentation. Ms Anusha and her two sons, aged 14 and 5, entered Thailand on 28 May 2026 using Sri Lankan passports before travelling to Malaysia on 3 June. On 12 June, they attempted to transit through Suvarnabhumi Airport to Kazakhstan using Malaysian passports, accompanied by a Malaysian facilitator, Ms Liviya, who falsely claimed to be the mother of the children. Airline staff raised suspicions and denied boarding, prompting the group to alter travel plans.

On 17 June 2026, the group attempted to travel again from Yangon via Don Mueang Airport to Almaty, Kazakhstan. Immigration officers intercepted and arrested Ms Anusha and Ms Liviya after verifying that Malaysian passports had been used improperly. The two children were processed under Thailand’s National Referral Mechanism for victim screening. Authorities later concluded they were not trafficking victims and initiated repatriation procedures to Sri Lanka.

Officials from Immigration Bureau Division 2 stated that the cases demonstrate a shift towards highly structured cross-border criminal networks that divide roles between recruiters, facilitators, and identity providers. Authorities emphasised that Thailand’s airports are being exploited as transit hubs for onward travel to third countries, requiring tighter intelligence sharing between agencies and international partners.

Deputy commissioner Pol Maj Gen Phanthana Nutchanart said the bureau is intensifying efforts against forged document networks, while Pol Col Phongthorn Phongrattanathun, spokesperson for Division 2, noted that even single passport forgery cases can expose entire transnational organisations operating across multiple countries.

Matichon reported that Immigration authorities confirmed that prosecutions include charges of joint possession and use of forged passports and involvement in transnational organised crime under relevant criminal provisions.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Matichon 5 July 2026

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