American Caught At Airport With 160 Fake Passports

[george]

Man caught at airport with 160 fake passports

BANGKOK: -- A multi-million pound human trafficking operation was smashed when a man was caught with 160 fake passports at Glasgow Airport.

A worldwide operation tracked Gerald Fredericks, 60, as he travelled from Bangkok to the UK.

When he flew into Glasgow, rather than Heathrow, where he believed security would be tighter, Customs officers pounced.

They seized 160 counterfeit passports - all blank and ready to be sold to help in the cross-border movement of illegal immigrants.

Fredericks, an American living in Bangkok, Thailand, was denied entry to the UK but held while the huge investigation was completed.

He has now been remitted to the High Court in Paisley for sentence after pleading guilty to the offence at the town's sheriff court.

Sheriff David Pender told him the maximum jail term he could impose would be five years.

He said he would leave it to the High Court to determine whether that would be sufficient for such a serious crime.

And he added: "In these days of international terrorism, the possibility of criminal activity is endless and on one view, frightening, if these fell into the wrong hands."

Fredericks, who has been held on remand since his arrest in January, pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to further the illegal movement of persons by being concerned in the supply of counterfeit passports.

The Vietnam war veteran admitted entering the UK at Glasgow Airport in possession of 160 counterfeit European Union French passports, with the intention of distributing them.

Originally from Chicago, he had been living in Bangkok for eight years and teaching biology.

When he agreed to carry the passports, worth thousands of pounds on the black market, Fredericks was asked to take them to Heathrow but told those he was working for that "would be crazy".

An international ring was involved and Fredericks was to have been paid £2300 cash.

If he had passed through security checks at Glasgow Airport, Fredericks would have taken a train to London. He would have booked into a hotel to await the hand-over.

-- Evening Times UK, 2006-04-14

[Pattaya_Fox]

Man caught at airport with 160 fake passports

BANGKOK: -- A multi-million pound human trafficking operation was smashed when a man was caught with 160 fake passports at Glasgow Airport.

A worldwide operation tracked Gerald Fredericks, 60, as he travelled from Bangkok to the UK.

When he flew into Glasgow, rather than Heathrow, where he believed security would be tighter, Customs officers pounced.

They seized 160 counterfeit passports - all blank and ready to be sold to help in the cross-border movement of illegal immigrants.

Fredericks, an American living in Bangkok, Thailand, was denied entry to the UK but held while the huge investigation was completed.

He has now been remitted to the High Court in Paisley for sentence after pleading guilty to the offence at the town's sheriff court.

Sheriff David Pender told him the maximum jail term he could impose would be five years.

He said he would leave it to the High Court to determine whether that would be sufficient for such a serious crime.

And he added: "In these days of international terrorism, the possibility of criminal activity is endless and on one view, frightening, if these fell into the wrong hands."

Fredericks, who has been held on remand since his arrest in January, pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to further the illegal movement of persons by being concerned in the supply of counterfeit passports.

The Vietnam war veteran admitted entering the UK at Glasgow Airport in possession of 160 counterfeit European Union French passports, with the intention of distributing them.

Originally from Chicago, he had been living in Bangkok for eight years and teaching biology.

When he agreed to carry the passports, worth thousands of pounds on the black market, Fredericks was asked to take them to Heathrow but told those he was working for that "would be crazy".

An international ring was involved and Fredericks was to have been paid £2300 cash.

If he had passed through security checks at Glasgow Airport, Fredericks would have taken a train to London. He would have booked into a hotel to await the hand-over.

-- Evening Times UK, 2006-04-14

Well done to the authoriies for catching this guy....lets hope that the High Court Judge has enough common sense to keep this one out of circulation for a few years, and give him a substantial sentence, which will act as a much needed deterrent for other would be criminals.

[mogoso]

Well done to the authoriies for catching this guy....lets hope that the High Court Judge has enough common sense to keep this one out of circulation for a few years, and give him a substantial sentence, which will act as a much needed deterrent for other would be criminals.

OK certainly bravos are in order, after catching this one little fish. But this is a big outfit ready to send another little fish downstream with the hope they'll get to the ocean of profit. Gotta cut the heads off at the top before you can accomblish much

[Pattaya_Fox]

Well done to the authoriies for catching this guy....lets hope that the High Court Judge has enough common sense to keep this one out of circulation for a few years, and give him a substantial sentence, which will act as a much needed deterrent for other would be criminals.

OK certainly bravos are in order, after catching this one little fish. But this is a big outfit ready to send another little fish downstream with the hope they'll get to the ocean of profit. Gotta cut the heads off at the top before you can accomblish much

Yes wouldn`t it be nice to get the top people straight away, but this rarely happens.

In any criminal organization it`s usually the underlings which are caught first and the information provided by them can and often does lead to others being caught further up the line of command.

[ColPyat]

Man caught at airport with 160 fake passports

BANGKOK: -- A multi-million pound human trafficking operation was smashed when a man was caught with 160 fake passports at Glasgow Airport.

Funny headline.

They caught a simple underpaid mule, and promote that they smashed a whole network.

Every single day far more people leave Bangkok on fake passports into all western countries and Japan on different routes, being helped over by the many networks having their base in Thailand. F_uck all was smashed, only a mule was caught. Makes no difference.

Anyhow, the more difficult the rich countries make it for people of poor countries to immigrate, the more people will turn to the networks to get to the rich countries. And so far, the organisations have always been far ahead of the law enforcement. What do you think why Thailand is one of the world's major bases for that sort of business, and who supplies most of the passports.

[Pattaya_Fox]

Man caught at airport with 160 fake passports

BANGKOK: -- A multi-million pound human trafficking operation was smashed when a man was caught with 160 fake passports at Glasgow Airport.

Funny headline.

They caught a simple underpaid mule, and promote that they smashed a whole network.

Every single day far more people leave Bangkok on fake passports into all western countries and Japan on different routes, being helped over by the many networks having their base in Thailand. F_uck all was smashed, only a mule was caught. Makes no difference.

Anyhow, the more difficult the rich countries make it for people of poor countries to immigrate, the more people will turn to the networks to get to the rich countries. And so far, the organisations have always been far ahead of the law enforcement. What do you think why Thailand is one of the world's major bases for that sort of business, and who supplies most of the passports.

Most of the fake passports issued in Thailand are of poor quality and cannot fool the electronic scanners which are now being used in many airports.

In the UK most major airports are scanning all UK passports as passengers are coming in.

Hopefully this will enable the authorities to catch even more criminals than ever before.

[ColPyat]

Most of the fake passports issued in Thailand are of poor quality and cannot fool the electronic scanners which are now being used in many airports.

In the UK most major airports are scanning all UK passports as passengers are coming in.

Hopefully this will enable the authorities to catch even more criminals than ever before.

Actually, not really.

Most "fake" passports issued in Bangkok are actually real passports used by people assuming the identity of the original holder. Some are doctored with, some not. Depending on price there are different levels, most expensive are unreported passports, the cheapest the ones doctored in order to only pass a superficial control.

They use different routes into their destinations.

Most people using those passports are not really "criminals", but people you could call economical refugees, and even many genuine asylum seekers who throw those passports away as soon as they made it off the plane.

Most economical refugees end up doing nothing more criminal than working illegaly in jobs such as dishwashers, or peddlers of tourist junk on Italy's beaches.

[markuk]

Man caught at airport with 160 fake passports

BANGKOK: -- A multi-million pound human trafficking operation was smashed when a man was caught with 160 fake passports at Glasgow Airport.

-- Evening Times UK, 2006-04-14

Wow 160 fake passports just so he would never have to admit he was American again!!!

[Pattaya_Fox]

Most of the fake passports issued in Thailand are of poor quality and cannot fool the electronic scanners which are now being used in many airports.

In the UK most major airports are scanning all UK passports as passengers are coming in.

Hopefully this will enable the authorities to catch even more criminals than ever before.

Actually, not really.

Most "fake" passports issued in Bangkok are actually real passports used by people assuming the identity of the original holder. Some are doctored with, some not. Depending on price there are different levels, most expensive are unreported passports, the cheapest the ones doctored in order to only pass a superficial control.

They use different routes into their destinations.

Most people using those passports are not really "criminals", but people you could call economical refugees, and even many genuine asylum seekers who throw those passports away as soon as they made it off the plane.

Most economical refugees end up doing nothing more criminal than working illegaly in jobs such as dishwashers, or peddlers of tourist junk on Italy's beaches.

1 If they are real passports then they are not Fake.

2 Unreported real passports are not Fake.

3 The cheapest doctored ones will not pass the electronic scanner test.

4 People using these passports are of course criminals ( i.e. gaining or attempting to gain entry into a country illegally) otherwise they would not have the need to use them.

5. Italy does not want them and they are shipping them out by the boatload.

[ColPyat]

1 If they are real passports then they are not Fake.

2 Unreported real passports are not Fake.

3 The cheapest doctored ones will not pass the electronic scanner test.

4 People using these passports are of course criminals ( i.e. gaining or attempting to gain entry into a country illegally) otherwise they would not have the need to use them.

5. Italy does not want them and they are shipping them out by the boatload.

1) semantics

2) semantics

3) so what, they are used for different purposes

4) yes. And so are people who evade taxes, drive drunk, visit prostitutes in Thailand, etc. Can you honestly say that you never broke a law in your life?

5) so what? They ship one boatload out, and three boatloads full are coming.

Point is, people from poor countries trying everything to get into rich countries will not stop. Catching a lowly mule with 160 books is a joke.

[hopeless]

1) semantics

2) semantics

3) so what, they are used for different purposes

4) yes. And so are people who evade taxes, drive drunk, visit prostitutes in Thailand, etc. Can you honestly say that you never broke a law in your life?

5) so what? They ship one boatload out, and three boatloads full are coming.

Point is, people from poor countries trying everything to get into rich countries will not stop. Catching a lowly mule with 160 books is a joke.

AMEN!

[Thaising]

Doesn’t these criminal know that Thai authorities here have update their data center since 9/11 in coordination with their foreign partners.

Lately it seems that many foreign criminals that have committed crime in their own country and hiding here is bringing arrested by Thai authorities here.

For those criminals who wish to hide in S.E. Asia, the best places are Burma where the foreign enforcement big brother has no legal right to enter.

Edited April 16, 2006 by Thaising

[ColPyat]

Doesn’t these criminal know that Thai authorities here have update their data center since 9/11 in coordination with their foreign partners.

No, these crime organisations know very well that they can always rely on the collaboration of often very high ranked members of the Thai law enforcement agencies.

Once a while a mule is thrown to the sharks, so that business can go on as usual.

Thailand is for them the perfect place to be based. Burma is way too backward, just try to get a simple internet connection there, the serious financial restrictions, and dealing with the Burmese authorities is a major pain in the arse.

[jdinasia]

lol

[Pattaya_Fox]

1 If they are real passports then they are not Fake.

2 Unreported real passports are not Fake.

3 The cheapest doctored ones will not pass the electronic scanner test.

4 People using these passports are of course criminals ( i.e. gaining or attempting to gain entry into a country illegally) otherwise they would not have the need to use them.

5. Italy does not want them and they are shipping them out by the boatload.

1) semantics

2) semantics

3) so what, they are used for different purposes

4) yes. And so are people who evade taxes, drive drunk, visit prostitutes in Thailand, etc. Can you honestly say that you never broke a law in your life?

5) so what? They ship one boatload out, and three boatloads full are coming.

Point is, people from poor countries trying everything to get into rich countries will not stop. Catching a lowly mule with 160 books is a joke.

So you seem to condone the criminal act of people who are using fake or doctored passports? Or have I misread your drift here?

Of course many people from poor countries want to get the benefits which a richer country offers and they will continue to try. Each country will deal with genuine applications acording to their laws and the types and numbers of immigrants they want in their respective countries.

There will also be criminals. terrorists and other scum who use fake or doctored passports to try to enter other countries with a view to committing crimes and terror.

I reiterate People who are caught with fake or doctored passports should feel the full force of the law, and well done the people in Scotand for catching this criminal or mule as you seem to call them.

[ColPyat]

So you seem to condone the criminal act of people who are using fake or doctored passports? Or have I misread your drift here?

I believe it's an issue of moral over law. I believe that everybody has the right to go wherever he/she wants to, and make a living wherever he/she wants to. If the law prohibits that, then the problem lies with the law, and the person has the right to break the laws that prohibit him/her to move.

I think it is sad that those people have to turn to criminal, exploitative organisations in order to achieve their aims, but as long as their intentions are to try to make a honest living in their destinations, i don't have any problem whatsoever with it, and do support them.

I chose to live here in Thailand. The first years i was an ilegal immigrant as well, working without a workpermit on tourist visas (as many are still doing). Now i have legalised myself since several years, but i don't forget what it means to be illegal, and i surly had a far easier time than illegal immigrants into the west.

[Pattaya_Fox]

So you seem to condone the criminal act of people who are using fake or doctored passports? Or have I misread your drift here?

I believe it's an issue of moral over law. I believe that everybody has the right to go wherever he/she wants to, and make a living wherever he/she wants to. If the law prohibits that, then the problem lies with the law, and the person has the right to break the laws that prohibit him/her to move.

I think it is sad that those people have to turn to criminal, exploitative organisations in order to achieve their aims, but as long as their intentions are to try to make a honest living in their destinations, i don't have any problem whatsoever with it, and do support them.

I chose to live here in Thailand. The first years i was an ilegal immigrant as well, working without a workpermit on tourist visas (as many are still doing). Now i have legalised myself since several years, but i don't forget what it means to be illegal, and i surly had a far easier time than illegal immigrants into the west.

Yes now we all understand your stance.

[Thaising]

Doesn’t these criminal know that Thai authorities here have update their data center since 9/11 in coordination with their foreign partners.

No, these crime organisations know very well that they can always rely on the collaboration of often very high ranked members of the Thai law enforcement agencies.

Once a while a mule is thrown to the sharks, so that business can go on as usual.

Thailand is for them the perfect place to be based. Burma is way too backward, just try to get a simple internet connection there, the serious financial restrictions, and dealing with the Burmese authorities is a major pain in the arse.

Mmmmm..........Agreed, No wondered some of the middle to high ranked MIB can afford to drive mercedes or BMW under their mistress name.

Edited April 16, 2006 by Thaising

[ColPyat]

Mmmmm..........Agreed, No wondered some of the middle to high ranked MIB can afford to drive mercedes or BMW under their mistress name.

I would even go so far that no national or international crime organisation can operate in Thailand without the permission/collaboration of elements of the Thai law enforcement agencies. If you have been here for a while it can be rather interesting to observe how certain corrupt members that are known to have taken advantage of moneys offered from known people in known businesses, rise through the ranks and then appear at top level positions...

[Plus]

From what my Iranian friends told me, it's a very common way for them to go to Japan, Europe, wherever - get a fake French/Belgian/Italian passport in Bangkok. Many just want to do a little business there and do not intend to emigrate for good.

What are the chances of an Iranian peddling his persian carpets to go and do business in the US? Not very high, I suspect. He only needs to find a distributor, not open the shop himself. That's just a hypthetical example.

[sriracha john]

Originally from Chicago, he had been living in Bangkok for eight years and teaching biology.

??

[sriracha john]

Bangkok passport smuggler jailed in Scotland

An American claiming to be a Bangkok resident and Vietnam war veteran has been jailed for two years by the High Court in Edinburgh, the BBC is reporting this evening. He was caught at Glasgow Airport with 160 fake passports, the BBC said.

Gerald Fredericks, 60, admitted "furthering" people trafficking by supplying fake passports. He was searched after arriving on 11 January when he arrived on a flight from his adopted home in Bangkok, according to the BBC report.

A total of 160 fake blank EU French passports were found in his luggage.

A deportation order has been served on Fredericks and defence solicitor advocate Denis Coffield said he wished to resume his life in Thailand as soon as possible.

He said: "He is now a marked man so far as world travel is concerned."

Lord Glennie said he accepted there was no suggestion the passports were to be used in connection with terrorism.

He described the offence as "very serious" and said the prison sentence was a "punishment and deterrent".

The judge accepted Fredericks, originally from Chicago, may have been "a small cog" in a bigger operation.

He added: "It is suggested on your behalf that no-one was being hurt.

"There is no evidence of people being hurt but it is naive to suggest this is a victimless crime."

Fredericks told police he was originally asked to fly to London but said he would not go to Heathrow airport because of security.

'Economic crime'

Mr Coffield said that Frederick's position was that he was helping people to improve their lives.

He added said: "It was not involving groups such as al-Qaeda or others. It was an economic crime and not a terrorism crime."

- BP

Edited April 20, 2006 by sriracha john

[Pattaya_Fox]

Bangkok passport smuggler jailed in Scotland

An American claiming to be a Bangkok resident and Vietnam war veteran has been jailed for two years by the High Court in Edinburgh, the BBC is reporting this evening. He was caught at Glasgow Airport with 160 fake passports, the BBC said.

Gerald Fredericks, 60, admitted "furthering" people trafficking by supplying fake passports. He was searched after arriving on 11 January when he arrived on a flight from his adopted home in Bangkok, according to the BBC report.

A total of 160 fake blank EU French passports were found in his luggage.

A deportation order has been served on Fredericks and defence solicitor advocate Denis Coffield said he wished to resume his life in Thailand as soon as possible.

He said: "He is now a marked man so far as world travel is concerned."

Lord Glennie said he accepted there was no suggestion the passports were to be used in connection with terrorism.

He described the offence as "very serious" and said the prison sentence was a "punishment and deterrent".

The judge accepted Fredericks, originally from Chicago, may have been "a small cog" in a bigger operation.

He added: "It is suggested on your behalf that no-one was being hurt.

"There is no evidence of people being hurt but it is naive to suggest this is a victimless crime."

Fredericks told police he was originally asked to fly to London but said he would not go to Heathrow airport because of security.

'Economic crime'

Mr Coffield said that Frederick's position was that he was helping people to improve their lives.

He added said: "It was not involving groups such as al-Qaeda or others. It was an economic crime and not a terrorism crime."

- BP

Well he`s out of circulation for a while.......another one who commits crime and says that he was helping people to improve their lives.........

[sriracha john]

The highly esteemed Bangkok biology teacher, Mr. Fredericks, after receiving his 2 year sentence. He'll have loads of time to work on lesson plans for use upon his return to Thailand:

[jdinasia]

OK .... is it just me? How does one know who the final end-user will be for forged passports?

[sriracha john]

OK .... is it just me? How does one know who the final end-user will be for forged passports?

I believe as a native of Chicago, Mr. Fredericks is covered by the Freedom of Information Act recently approved by the governing body, IACL (International Association of Crime Lords). This would ensure his right to find out who ultimately ended up with the passports that he smuggled.

[jdinasia]

Nitty, Capone, Fredricks?

[sriracha john]

yes... Fredericks of Chicago... not to be confused with Fredericks of Hollywood...

[britmaveric]

What a muppet!