Missing plane highlights Phuket's stolen passport trade

[paz]

If Malaysian Airline does not check the validity of passports on an international flight, I would suggest that everyone stop using that airline.

According to Interpol, there are over a billion trips being made annually where passports are not being checked against the Interpol database. Will you be so kind as to give a list on the airlines that checks the validity of passports?

None, because airlines cannot access that database. Only goverment agencies like police and immigration can.

[paz]

While the thought of 2 guys on the flight with stolen passports is disturbing, it's not very useful information unless we know how many stolen passports are typically used to board flights here in Asia.

Which, of course, we'll probably never know.

The 2 guys whose passports were reported stolen may be in the clear, or they may not. Given the big difference between the market price of a valid Euro passport, and the replacement cost at the embassy, I'm sure they will be grilled about how they actually lost their passports. (For example, if a guy was out of money in Phuket one day, then had $500-1000 in his account the next....it probably wouldn't be that obvious, but who knows) Not sure I'd want to be in their shoes even if the passports were actually stolen. I suspect they're in for a few uncomfortable days- or at least they should be.

Wrong thinking, far from being grilled they are being paraded with thai cops on the media.

And, payments for selling a passort is not deposited into account like like a paycheck.

[speedtripler]

If Malaysian Airline does not check the validity of passports on an international flight, I would suggest that everyone stop using that airline.

According to Interpol, there are over a billion trips being made annually where passports are not being checked against the Interpol database. Will you be so kind as to give a list on the airlines that checks the validity of passports?

None, because airlines cannot access that database. Only goverment agencies like police and immigration can.

interpol says they can but dont use the system ........only a handful of countries are using it apparently

[noddy77]

I find this interesting.

Before takeoff from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Airline removed the baggage of five passengers who didn’t board after checking in, Azharuddin said. “There are issues about the passengers that did not fly on the aircraft,” he said without elaborating.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-10/plane-debris-hunters-seek-suspected-aircraft-window-part.html

[paz]

interpol says they can but dont use the system ........only a handful of countries are using it apparently

Ther is prabably a cost per-query o per-terminal or other "technical issue" to give a reason for a country not to use it.

[tiffanystoyz]

Ok straight to the point first Phucket and Pattaya Both place with high Russians expats Doing shady deals that is a fact . Police know this and turn blind eye out of fear or the bribe money. I know it is not only Russians but others too including the hedge hoppers too with the drugs they rathole to bring into country. Everyone knows need passport go to Khoasan road. Can get fake ID's, passport's, and whatever you need there. But that will never change police make to much off the vendors.

[stevehaigh]

Malaysian Airlines is a decent airlines - except for the Bangkok - KL route, where old sex tourists [many of them writing here on this board] travel back and forth and the planes and food are god-awful...

As a point of interest, how can I tell which fellow passengers are old sex tourists or not? I can easily identify an old person but find it hard to distinguish the sex tourists. Do they wear red bandanas, for example?

always scratching their nuts is one clue. if the girl sitting next to him has a number on a badge on her bikini, that's another clue.

[OZEMADE]

"Hundreds of passports are lost or stolen on Phuket each year, raising fears they could fall into the hands of criminal or terrorist networks."

Thousands of passports are lost or stolen all over the world each year.

Why single out Phuket?

Where there is concentration of tourists, crime and thieving is very common.

Stop, bashing Pucket.

The passports were stolen in Phuket !

The tickets were sold in Phuket !

And Phuket has got a terrible record for scams, thefts and corruption!

Duhhhh !

The Passports may have been stolen in Phuket, but the E-Tickets were sold in Pattaya via two travel agencies who work together.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/21912992/search-targets-iranian-man-mr-ali/

[simple1]

interpol says they can but dont use the system ........only a handful of countries are using it apparently

Ther is prabably a cost per-query o per-terminal or other "technical issue" to give a reason for a country not to use it.

Interpol have stated there is not a cost per query to access their lost/stolen passport database by security / law enforcement agencies. Interpol is mainly financed by member countries statutory contributions & its interesting to note their operational budget in 2012 was only EUR 70 million.

http://www.interpol.int/About-INTERPOL/Structure-and-governance/Finances

It is ridiculous for people to assume airline / travel booking organisations would be authorised to connect to Interpol dB

[kbelyeu]

"Hundreds of passports are lost or stolen on Phuket each year, raising fears they could fall into the hands of criminal or terrorist networks."

Thousands of passports are lost or stolen all over the world each year.

Why single out Phuket?

Where there is concentration of tourists, crime and thieving is very common.

Stop, bashing Pucket.

What you say is right, "thousands of PP's are lost or stolen...."The law concerning rental shops for cars and bikes needs to be tightened or changed in Thailand of course but honest farangs are only too willing to hand over their PP in order to get on with their holiday even though it is not legal to give a PP to any third party and never has been. But it happens of course and will continue to happen as long as there is no law enforcement. And why single out Phuket? I think that it's been proven the two tickets to China from Malaysia were bought in Phuket. More interesting news to come I'm sure.

It is a violation of Thai law to require a passport to be held for any reason other than official state business and I would add that most governments would consider a person in violation of its laws to hand over a passport for anything other than official state business. So please.. photocopies ONLY.

Kurt

[pasak]

"Hundreds of passports are lost or stolen on Phuket each year, raising fears they could fall into the hands of criminal or terrorist networks."

Thousands of passports are lost or stolen all over the world each year.

Why single out Phuket?

Where there is concentration of tourists, crime and thieving is very common.

Stop, bashing Pucket.

Phuket is the hub of corruption and crime against foreigners in Thailand with the nexus in the Kamala to Katha strip.

If you have ever lived there you would understand. The culture is one of thievery and crimes of opportunity, from the jet ski and tuk tuk rip offs, to the improper land development, to the outright extortion of foreign business operators. The local government, the local police, and the local population are all considered to be dishonest and corrupt. One need only look at the trafficking of the Rohingya to see how extensive the disease is.

It is not bashing Phuket to speak of the reality. What we see in Phuket does not occur on the same scale anywhere else in Thailand. Not in Koh Samui, not in Krabi, not in Cha Am-Hua Hin, not in Chonburi, not in Chiang Rai, etc. etc.

You missed out Pattaya. Why? Do you live there?

[Konini]

If Malaysian Airline does not check the validity of passports on an international flight, I would suggest that everyone stop using that airline.

I can't see airlines having access to this for privacy reasons (and it would be a way for the bad people to see which documents are actually on the list), but immigration or border control.

I, like most others probably, assumed that it was already being done, but I imagine from that now on, immigration officers in every country will be checking every single passport against the database.

A good thing coming out of a bad thing.

[paz]

It is ridiculous for people to assume airline / travel booking organisations would be authorised to connect to Interpol dB

Actually Interpol just announced at the news conference that they will allow airline to access the database and named two mideast airlines that commited to begin to do this ASAP. it is a very interesting news conference still being broadcast now on Channel NewsAsia.

[Thai at Heart]

There is a headline in the Uk that, the Malaysian military saw the plan on radar over the malacca straight one hour after it went off civilain radar. They are searching that side now. Bizarre. Truly bizarre.

[simple1]

It is ridiculous for people to assume airline / travel booking organisations would be authorised to connect to Interpol dB

Actually Interpol just announced at the news conference that they will allow airline to access the database and named two mideast airlines that commited to begin to do this ASAP. it is a very interesting news conference still being broadcast now on Channel NewsAsia.

Got a link? To me that decision raises major security concerns of disemmination of info to non approved receipients.

[paz]

It is ridiculous for people to assume airline / travel booking organisations would be authorised to connect to Interpol dB

Actually Interpol just announced at the news conference that they will allow airline to access the database and named two mideast airlines that commited to begin to do this ASAP. it is a very interesting news conference still being broadcast now on Channel NewsAsia.

Got a link? To me that decision raises major security concerns of disemmination of info to non approved receipients.

Link for a news conference of today? You can look for NewsAsia summaries or Interpol website.

Anyway, Interpol's Secretary General stated that the lost/stolen database is very simple: passport number, date and country of issue. No other personal data as in name etc.

Any authorized part do query with this data and get a green or red light. Does not seem like any dissemination and nothing like big brother watching.

EDIT: of course, it is possible likely that Interpol keeps another unpublicized database recording date and source of all query. So they can know where and when an individual has travelled. Yes a little of big brother maybe there.

Edited March 11, 2014 by paz

[organic]

Some more info on the stolen passport trade: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/10/thailand-trade-fake-passports-crime-gangs-world

Created after the September 11, 2001 terror attack on New York and Washington, the LSTD database now has some 40m entries.

[simple1]

It is ridiculous for people to assume airline / travel booking organisations would be authorised to connect to Interpol dB

Actually Interpol just announced at the news conference that they will allow airline to access the database and named two mideast airlines that commited to begin to do this ASAP. it is a very interesting news conference still being broadcast now on Channel NewsAsia.

Got a link? To me that decision raises major security concerns of disemmination of info to non approved receipients.

Link for a news conference of today? You can look for NewsAsia summaries or Interpol website.

Anyway, Interpol's Secretary General stated that the lost/stolen database is very simple: passport number, date and country of issue. No other personal data as in name etc.

Any authorized part do query with this data and get a green or red light. Does not seem like any dissemination and nothing like big brother watching.

EDIT: of course, it is possible likely that Interpol keeps another unpublicized database recording date and source of all query. So they can know where and when an individual has travelled. Yes a little of big brother maybe there.

Did look at Interpol news website and NewsAsia but currently cannot locate a specific reference to any agreement (too early to be updated?) other than the Sec Gen saying airlines should have access to the dB. Purely speculation, but maybe airlines would resist this suggestion as it would increase their liability risk and really is the domain of security agencies.

[Blackmirage2013]

Ahhhhh... now searching elsewhere.... it is NOT where they originally searched...

I bet if it did hit the water, it is in THE MALAAKA STRAITS!!!! But who knows....

So mysterious.... I don't know how it could have crashed in the jungle without hundreds of eye witnesses to the actual crash or the devastating billows of smoke and fire afterwards... Crashing on land? I think not??!!

[Dumu Ali]

Shame on Interpol for using this as an opportunity to market a database of info that should be public so the fake PP users can be caught quickly

Interpol is becoming a financial racket of fakes pretending to care if they were real then we would not such such chaos and crime

we are not all fooled - shame on Interpol and the jerks that pretend to work but seek ways to guzzle more dollars = selfish

[speedtripler]

There is a headline in the Uk that, the Malaysian military saw the plan on radar over the malacca straight one hour after it went off civilain radar. They are searching that side now. Bizarre. Truly bizarre.

why would the miilitary hide such important information for 4 days and waste millions of dollars having 10 governments searching in the wrong oceans ?

this is looking more and more like a cover up of whatever really happened ........

[Thai at Heart]

There is a headline in the Uk that, the Malaysian military saw the plan on radar over the malacca straight one hour after it went off civilain radar. They are searching that side now. Bizarre. Truly bizarre.

why would the miilitary hide such important information for 4 days and waste millions of dollars having 10 governments searching in the wrong oceans ?

this is looking more and more like a cover up of whatever really happened ........

Dont think it is a cover up. God only knows why, but it would hardly be the most obvious thing to think. That a plane went off radar and reappeared 100s of miles away completely off course. The story has popped out now. Doesn't say much if anyone fancied running a few bombers into Malaysia does it. A 777 wanders across their airspace and the fact that it happened only comes out 3 or 4 days later.

[Khunangkaro]

There is a headline in the Uk that, the Malaysian military saw the plan on radar over the malacca straight one hour after it went off civilain radar. They are searching that side now. Bizarre. Truly bizarre.

Rumors or real?

Link please!

[Thai at Heart]

There is a headline in the Uk that, the Malaysian military saw the plan on radar over the malacca straight one hour after it went off civilain radar. They are searching that side now. Bizarre. Truly bizarre.

Rumors or real?

Link please!

alaysia Airlines live: military says last tracked plane hundreds of miles off course

Www.telegraph.co.uk

Headline has been on all front pages in uk since this morning

[Thai at Heart]

There is a headline in the Uk that, the Malaysian military saw the plan on radar over the malacca straight one hour after it went off civilain radar. They are searching that side now. Bizarre. Truly bizarre.

Rumors or real?

Link please!

alaysia Airlines live: military says last tracked plane hundreds of miles off course

Www.telegraph.co.uk

Headline has been on all front pages in uk since this morning

[paz]

Shame on Interpol for using this as an opportunity to market a database of info that should be public so the fake PP users can be caught quickly

Interpol is becoming a financial racket of fakes pretending to care if they were real then we would not such such chaos and crime

we are not all fooled - shame on Interpol and the jerks that pretend to work but seek ways to guzzle more dollars = selfish

I don't know what are you on, but is not good stuff, so chill.

[speedtripler]

There is a headline in the Uk that, the Malaysian military saw the plan on radar over the malacca straight one hour after it went off civilain radar. They are searching that side now. Bizarre. Truly bizarre.

why would the miilitary hide such important information for 4 days and waste millions of dollars having 10 governments searching in the wrong oceans ?

this is looking more and more like a cover up of whatever really happened ........

Dont think it is a cover up. God only knows why, but it would hardly be the most obvious thing to think. That a plane went off radar and reappeared 100s of miles away completely off course. The story has popped out now. Doesn't say much if anyone fancied running a few bombers into Malaysia does it. A 777 wanders across their airspace and the fact that it happened only comes out 3 or 4 days later.

watch a few videos on the new f-22 raptor and f-35 jsf

they are invisible to todays radar technology so they can basicallly fly through enemy radar ,attack whatever and disappear

again leaving no trace

its due to be the top dog in aerial combat for about the next 2 decades

[Thai at Heart]

There is a headline in the Uk that, the Malaysian military saw the plan on radar over the malacca straight one hour after it went off civilain radar. They are searching that side now. Bizarre. Truly bizarre.

why would the miilitary hide such important information for 4 days and waste millions of dollars having 10 governments searching in the wrong oceans ?

this is looking more and more like a cover up of whatever really happened ........

Dont think it is a cover up. God only knows why, but it would hardly be the most obvious thing to think. That a plane went off radar and reappeared 100s of miles away completely off course. The story has popped out now. Doesn't say much if anyone fancied running a few bombers into Malaysia does it. A 777 wanders across their airspace and the fact that it happened only comes out 3 or 4 days later.

watch a few videos on the new f-22 raptor and f-35 jsf

they are invisible to todays radar technology so they can basicallly fly through enemy radar ,attack whatever and disappear

again leaving no trace

its due to be the top dog in aerial combat for about the next 2 decades

What has that got to do with a Boeing passenger jet?

[speedtripler]

Thai at Heart, on 12 Mar 2014 - 00:06, said:

Dont think it is a cover up. God only knows why, but it would hardly be the most obvious thing to think. That a plane went off radar and reappeared 100s of miles away completely off course. The story has popped out now. Doesn't say much if anyone fancied running a few bombers into Malaysia does it. A 777 wanders across their airspace and the fact that it happened only comes out 3 or 4 days later.

watch a few videos on the new f-22 raptor and f-35 jsf

they are invisible to todays radar technology so they can basicallly fly through enemy radar ,attack whatever and disappear

again leaving no trace

its due to be the top dog in aerial combat for about the next 2 decades

What has that got to do with a Boeing passenger jet?

if you read his post he said it wouldnt be good if they were bomber planes since malaysia cant keep track of civiian airliners

i said " the latest modern fighter planes are undetectable anyway so they could bomb what they liked and disappear "

try and grasp the context.......

[Thai at Heart]

Thai at Heart, on 12 Mar 2014 - 00:06, said:

Dont think it is a cover up. God only knows why, but it would hardly be the most obvious thing to think. That a plane went off radar and reappeared 100s of miles away completely off course. The story has popped out now. Doesn't say much if anyone fancied running a few bombers into Malaysia does it. A 777 wanders across their airspace and the fact that it happened only comes out 3 or 4 days later.

watch a few videos on the new f-22 raptor and f-35 jsf

they are invisible to todays radar technology so they can basicallly fly through enemy radar ,attack whatever and disappear

again leaving no trace

its due to be the top dog in aerial combat for about the next 2 decades

What has that got to do with a Boeing passenger jet?

if you read his post he said it wouldnt be good if they were bomber planes since malaysia cant keep track of civiian airliners

i said " the latest modern fighter planes are undetectable anyway so they could bomb what they liked and disappear "

try and grasp the context.......

Well I would expect most radar to struggle with a stealth fighter, but a passenger airliner 10times the size should have got someone's attention on radar.