Thai Forgers 'helped Iranian Traffickers'

Thai forgers 'helped Iranian traffickers'

BANGKOK: -- Tokyo police suspect a forgery gang in Thailand supplied fake passports to a number of Iranians who entered Japan illegally and were later arrested on drug charges, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported this morning.

The newspaper said that the Metropolitan Police Department said the Iranian suspects got into Japan with the help of an Iranian broker living in Thailand, who provided airline tickets and fake passports.

The Japanese arrested 13 Iranians on suspicion of dealing in methamphetamines and other stimulants in various Tokyo areas in May and June last year.

Ten had arrived in Japan via Thailand, and all held forged Italian and Irish passports, the sources told the Asahi Shimbun.

Many of the suspects said they paid between 150,000 yen and 500,000 yen (roughly 45,000 to 162,000 baht) for an airline ticket and a fake passport, according to the sources.

Those who illegally enter Japan often use fake passports of nations that do not require visas, such as Britain, Italy and France, according to the sources.

In most cases, photos are exchanged on authentic passports that have been stolen or purchased from the real owners.

The Justice Ministry last year sent a specialist in forged documents as a liaison officer to Thailand to help stem the flow of fake passports held by foreign nationals boarding Japan-bound flights, said the newspaper report.

--Bangkok Post 2006-04-08