Fake Passport Gang Arrested With 20,000 Fake Passports

[sriracha john]

Police arrest fake passport gang members

Police arrested 12 members of a gang producing fake passports in Bang Khor Laem district of Bangkok yesterday. A large number of fake passports of various countries were seized. Some of the passports were being processed when police raided the rented house on Soi Charoenkrung 107. The gang comprised Thais, Burmese, and Indonesians. The gang leader was identified as Somkhuan Muen-in, 38. During the search, police found more than 20,000 fake passports of many countries, including Burma, Brunei, Canada, France, Germany, Malaysia, Russia, Sweden and the United States. Of the fake passports, some 2,000 were ready to be used, said Immigration bureau chief Pol Lt-Gen Chatchawal Suksomjit. Other seized items included illegal visa stamps and other counterfeit travel documents. According to a police investigation, Somkhuan, alias Cham, had produced bogus passports for over 10 years. He had also been involved in trafficking of alien nationals and in drug and weapons smuggling. He is reported to be on the wanted list in several countries. Police records say Somkhuan ran an underground network which supplied arms to the Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka in 2003. He also allegedly conspired to rob a

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/10May2008_news04.php

[kurgen]

20,000 passports......this could be the worlds worst case of split personalities ever?

[sriracha john]

Fake Passport Racket Busted In Thailand

Thailand’s police on Friday busted a document-forging racket and confiscated about 21,000 fake passports in the process, said reports.

Police arrested 12 people in the operation and charged them on three accounts, including counterfeiting official documents, possession of counterfeit documents, and trafficking in drugs and weapons, reported the Australian.

The Australian reported Commander of immigration police Lieutenant General Chatchawal Suksomjit as saying that about 20,904 unfinished were seized in the raid.

"This is the largest arrest of a passport counterfeiting gang," Chatchawal said.

Chatchawal added that the raid also recovered about 2,300 completed and faked versions of passports from France, Suriname, Norway, Belgium, Italy and Burma.

- RTTNews (today)

[jstumbo]

20,000 passports......this could be the worlds worst case of split personalities ever?

Many people have more than one passport.

[jstumbo]

Another fake passport bust. This is why I worry about the US having one of the steps of production for all passports in Thailand.

[sunsamourai]

Another fake passport bust. This is why I worry about the US having one of the steps of production for all passports in Thailand.

Wow ! I didn't know US administration could be so uncautious... Scary that they forced other countries to match their own criterias ! Would that mean other countries must have one of the steps of production for their passports at the mercy of a well known counterfeiting paradise, say... China ?

[jstumbo]

Another fake passport bust. This is why I worry about the US having one of the steps of production for all passports in Thailand.

Wow ! I didn't know US administration could be so uncautious... Scary that they forced other countries to match their own criterias ! Would that mean other countries must have one of the steps of production for their passports at the mercy of a well known counterfeiting paradise, say... China ?

The covers for all US passports have the RFID chips installed in Europe, and then are sent to a factory in Thailand to have the antenna installed. A factory that has been the victim of Chinese espionage in the past.

[wrecker]

UTTERLY NONSENSE! Where did you got the number from:

THIS was the article, which appeared in AP, and in ALL foreign newspapers, including, Australian, US, UK, Dutch and German papers!

Thai police seize more than 1,000 fake passports in raid

Mohammed Karim (above) was nabbed in a Bangkok townhouse late on Saturday where police found a sophisticated passport making operation and more than 1,000 finished and unfinished documents, Thai police said. -- PHOTO: AFP

BANGKOK - THAI authorities have seized more than a thousand fake Asian and Western passports and arrested a man in one of the biggest anti-counterfeiting operations in recent years, police said on Sunday.

Mohammed Karim, a 56-year-old from Bangladesh, was nabbed in a Bangkok townhouse late on Saturday where they found a sophisticated passport making operation and more than 1,000 finished and unfinished documents, Police Major-General Chaktip Chaichinda said.

'He admitted that he made fake passports,' Maj-Gen Chaktip said, adding that his partner, a Myanmar national, escaped arrest.

The passports were for several countries including the United States, New Zealand, France, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Malta.

Police seized two computers, a scanner, three printers and rubber stamps for several countries.

'This guy is rich. He has a BMW. He said he made about 300,000-400,000 baht per month (around $13,500),' Maj-Gen Chaktip said.

The passports were sold to a group of Thai and Burmese middlemen who then sold them to gangs engaged in prostitution, terrorism and smuggling, he said.

If convicted, Karim faces up to 20 years in jail.

'It's the biggest fake passport case in the past four to five years,' Maj-Gen Chaktip said.

Passport fraud is a common problem in Thailand, where police seized 100 fake documents last year. -- REUTERS

[gwynt]

UTTERLY NONSENSE! Where did you got the number from:

THIS was the article, which appeared in AP, and in ALL foreign newspapers, including, Australian, US, UK, Dutch and German papers!

Thai police seize more than 1,000 fake passports in raid

Mohammed Karim (above) was nabbed in a Bangkok townhouse late on Saturday where police found a sophisticated passport making operation and more than 1,000 finished and unfinished documents, Thai police said. -- PHOTO: AFP

BANGKOK - THAI authorities have seized more than a thousand fake Asian and Western passports and arrested a man in one of the biggest anti-counterfeiting operations in recent years, police said on Sunday.

Mohammed Karim, a 56-year-old from Bangladesh, was nabbed in a Bangkok townhouse late on Saturday where they found a sophisticated passport making operation and more than 1,000 finished and unfinished documents, Police Major-General Chaktip Chaichinda said.

'He admitted that he made fake passports,' Maj-Gen Chaktip said, adding that his partner, a Myanmar national, escaped arrest.

The passports were for several countries including the United States, New Zealand, France, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Malta.

Police seized two computers, a scanner, three printers and rubber stamps for several countries.

'This guy is rich. He has a BMW. He said he made about 300,000-400,000 baht per month (around $13,500),' Maj-Gen Chaktip said.

The passports were sold to a group of Thai and Burmese middlemen who then sold them to gangs engaged in prostitution, terrorism and smuggling, he said.

If convicted, Karim faces up to 20 years in jail.

'It's the biggest fake passport case in the past four to five years,' Maj-Gen Chaktip said.

Passport fraud is a common problem in Thailand, where police seized 100 fake documents last year. -- REUTERS

"Thai police seize more than 1,000 fake passports in raid"

By my reconing 20,000 is More than 1,000

[jstumbo]

UTTERLY NONSENSE! Where did you got the number from:

THIS was the article, which appeared in AP, and in ALL foreign newspapers, including, Australian, US, UK, Dutch and German papers!

Thai police seize more than 1,000 fake passports in raid

Mohammed Karim (above) was nabbed in a Bangkok townhouse late on Saturday where police found a sophisticated passport making operation and more than 1,000 finished and unfinished documents, Thai police said. -- PHOTO: AFP

BANGKOK - THAI authorities have seized more than a thousand fake Asian and Western passports and arrested a man in one of the biggest anti-counterfeiting operations in recent years, police said on Sunday.

Mohammed Karim, a 56-year-old from Bangladesh, was nabbed in a Bangkok townhouse late on Saturday where they found a sophisticated passport making operation and more than 1,000 finished and unfinished documents, Police Major-General Chaktip Chaichinda said.

'He admitted that he made fake passports,' Maj-Gen Chaktip said, adding that his partner, a Myanmar national, escaped arrest.

The passports were for several countries including the United States, New Zealand, France, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Malta.

Police seized two computers, a scanner, three printers and rubber stamps for several countries.

'This guy is rich. He has a BMW. He said he made about 300,000-400,000 baht per month (around $13,500),' Maj-Gen Chaktip said.

The passports were sold to a group of Thai and Burmese middlemen who then sold them to gangs engaged in prostitution, terrorism and smuggling, he said.

If convicted, Karim faces up to 20 years in jail.

'It's the biggest fake passport case in the past four to five years,' Maj-Gen Chaktip said.

Passport fraud is a common problem in Thailand, where police seized 100 fake documents last year. -- REUTERS

Two completley different cases. The one that you are refering to happened a couple of weeks back. This is a new one.

[Andiamo]

Agreed Jstumbo. 2 totally separate cases.

[pampal]

I always wanted a third passport

[ThaiAdventure]

20,000 fake passports of many countries, including Burma, Brunei, Canada, France, Germany, Malaysia, Russia, Sweden and the United States

Nobody wants to live in the UK anymore (not even the Brits...lol).

[bulmercke]

20,000 fake passports of many countries, including Burma, Brunei, Canada, France, Germany, Malaysia, Russia, Sweden and the United States

Nobody wants to live in the UK anymore (not even the Brits...lol).

You're right on that one.

[sriracha john]

UTTERLY NONSENSE! Where did you got the number from:

THIS was the article, which appeared in AP, and in ALL foreign newspapers, including, Australian, US, UK, Dutch and German papers!

Thai police seize more than 1,000 fake passports in raid

Mohammed Karim (above) was nabbed in a Bangkok townhouse late on Saturday where police found a sophisticated passport making operation and more than 1,000 finished and unfinished documents, Thai police said. -- PHOTO: AFP

Not "utter nonsense", you are referring to another case involving another counterfeit ring covered in another thread:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?ac...amp;pid=1950856

Fake Passport Racket Busted, Largest counterfeit documents bust in five years

and also this one:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...61&hl=

Police Seize Fake Passports, biggest fake passport case in the past four to five years

The latest case surpassing the previous one as the "biggest case"....

It all has to do with cementing Thailand's position as the HUB of passport counterfeiting. They certainly seem to be doing a very good and efficient job at retaining their World #1 ranking.

Edited May 11, 2008 by sriracha john

[stevehaigh]

fake Burmesse passport! that can't be worth the paper its written on!

[sriracha john]

Fake Bruneian Passports Seized In Thailand

Fake Bruneian passports were among the 20,000 which were seized in an operation to combat counterfeit passport ring in Thailand.

Reports from Thailand said that Thai authorities had managed to break up a 12-man counterfeit gang who possessed 20,000 fake passports from variety of countries.

The arrest was the second of its kind in Thailand in the past month.

Counterfeit gang, included Thais, Myanmarese, and Indonesians. Apart from Brunei the gang had faked passports from a number of other countries including Canada, France, Germany, Malaysia, Myanmar, Russia, Sweden and the United States.

Thai police reported that of the 20,000 at least 2,000 of the passports were ready to be used. It was also reported that the ringleader of the cell, Somkhuan Muen-in, has garnered an approximate 10-year career in document forging, people and arms smuggling, with the Thai Police believing that he had smuggled arms for the Tamil Tigers in 2003.

Brunei passports are believed to be one of the most sought after.

As part of its efforts to fight against fraudulent counterfeit activities, Brunei has recently released a biometric passport which is in line with the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisations.

The chip imbedded in the new biometric passports can permanently store personal details of the holder and the biometric facts of the individual. Facial and fingerprint images and can be readily accessed for examination or comparison.

The e-passport has a number of high security features, which are unique to respective countries.

- Courtesy of The Brunei Times (today)

[david96]

If one used a fake passport eg for the US, UK, Australia it would be picked up on their computer system if you tried to enter. A lot of people have 2 passports (dual citizens) but these passports are genuine.

The question arises, where do forgers get the correct paper to print them? It is not hard to pick a forged passport, one check is to run it under U/V light and compare it with a genuine one, next question the holder.

Some countries are lax with passport checks.

[fire and ice]

20,000 passports......this could be the worlds worst case of split personalities ever? ohmy.gif

:D :D :D

[Tony Clifton]

OMG! What about the country's reputation?

Oh yeah, I forgot, it's a weekly failure.

[wpcoe]

fake Burmesse passport! that can't be worth the paper its written on!

Maybe overseas aid workers could use them to get into the country (Burma)?