Iranian Man Arrested When He Used a Fake Passport to Rent a Car

[Rimmer]

Iranian Man Arrested Used a Fake Passport to Rent a Car

PATTAYA – March 15, 2014 [PDN]; at 8.00 a.m. Pol.Lt.Col. Ratthaphong Tia-sood (Deputy Superintendent of Chonburi Immigration Bureau) was notified from a Mrs. Phattharawadee Homkhajornthanajorn, aged 54, that she had detained a foreign man who rented a from her company called “Jeh Da Car Rent” but didn’t return it. The rental company is located in Soi Chalerm Phra Kiet 23 (beside old Excite), Pattaya third road, central Pattaya, so he commanded Pol.Sub.Lt. Prasert Chaiwong (Deputy Inspector) to rush to the scene together with the police team.

At the incident Mrs. Phattharawadee pointed out Mr. Heidar Alirezaei, aged 56, Iranian nationality, and passport no. K21878538, who rented a car but never, returned it. The police searched in his body and found a fake passport with his photograph but had a different name Mr. Damarco Celso Alfonso, aged 50, Italian nationality, passport no. AA2206519. He was also carrying a fake International Driving Permit (IDP), many cards from various car rental tents in Pattaya city and Bangkok and some other documents so the officers seized all of them for evidence.

Upon questioning Mrs. Phattharawadee (the victim)she said that on March 11, 2014 Mr. Heidar (the defendant) came to her car rental tent and rented a 4-door-Toyota Vigo car, license no. 1 Kor Nor-5433 Bangkok for 1 week at a price of 10,000 THB so he gave her a copy his passport with the name of Mr. Damarco Celso Alfonso, Italian nationality. Also he talked to her and befriended her and claimed that he was Italian and it was his first time in Thailand.

Full story: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/pattaya-news/2014/03/16/iranian-man-arrested-used-a-fake-passport-to-rent-a-car/

-- Pattaya Daily News 2014-03-16

[animatic]

Well it seems the rental places demanding your passport aren't getting the protection they imagine from insisting on illegally taking passports as supposed collateral.

[Kerryd]

"He also said that he didn’t think that people would remember his face."

Not because he didn't think being Iranian and using a stolen/faked Italian passport would arouse any suspicion just days after the Malaysian plane goes missing (while carrying an Iranian travelling on a stolen Italian passport), but because he didn't think people would recognize him.

What, after he stole cars from them ? Interesting that it seems he was able to take a rented vehicle and get it into Laos without any (apparent) problems. I'd say the police may want to be looking at hooking some other fish now that they have this minnow firmly in the net.

[phuketrichard]

there is more to this story

1st to leave thailand he needs show the blue book in his name and also passport with matching name when he departs Thailand or a letter form the owner given him permission to temp export the car.

2nd to get into Laos, it must be in his name and also he must have the transport office ( purple book ) in his name

3rd, so he is working with a gang that is paying off both immigration & customs officals on thai an laos sides.

[webfact]

Iranian uses fake passport to rent cars and allegedly sell them to foreign dealers



PATTAYA: -- Over the weekend Pattaya Police arrested an Iranian National accused of renting a car in Pattaya and then sending the vehicle over the Thai-Laos border and selling the vehicle to a car dealer.

Initially Khun Pattarawadee aged 54, who runs a Car Rental Company in Soi Xzyte in Central Pattaya, was approached by the suspect, who at the time was using an Italian Passport under the name of Mr. Damarco Alfonso aged 50 and used the document, which was later found to have been produced in Laos by a friend for 30,000 Baht, to rent a Toyota Vigo 4-door pick-up on 11th March for 7 days at a cost of 10,000 Baht.

The vehicle was fitted with a GPS tracking device and the company owner tracked the vehicle to the Khong River on the border with Laos on 13th March, which led her to report the incident to Immigration Police, even though the vehicle could still have been returned before the 7 days.

Full story: http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/121821/iranian-uses-fake-passport-to-rent-cars-and-allegedly-sell-them-to-foreign-dealers/


-- Pattaya One 2014-03-17

[chooka]

Another Iranian with a false/stolen passport.

"A picture of the rentee was distributed to other car rental companies in Pattaya and the man re-appeared at a rental company owned by Khun Aran aged 66 where the suspect tried to rent a Toyota Fortuna using the same fake Italian Passport".

So I would presume the original rental company didn't hold his passport.

Edited March 17, 2014 by chooka

[oxo1947]

"A 4-door-Toyota Vigo car"

You would think that if he was going to the trouble of stealing something, he would have set his sites a little higher than this model....just about the cheapest one Toyota do, & Thanks to Yinglucks Largess with the 100K payment, you can pick these up at the bank repossession auctions now ---near new for about 200K +

[uwe_rayong]

"A 4-door-Toyota Vigo car"

You would think that if he was going to the trouble of stealing something, he would have set his sites a little higher than this model....just about the cheapest one Toyota do, & Thanks to Yinglucks Largess with the 100K payment, you can pick these up at the bank repossession auctions now ---near new for about 200K +

Sure there are lots and lots of near new 4 door Toyota Vigo for 200k .

[klauskunkel]

Bravo the Thai police. They received a message from a powerful, senior person to generate positive news on arrests of foreigners holding stolen passports, to show the world how serious and able they are about this topic du jour...and here we are. Expect more of the same in the near future...

[orosee]

"The police searched in his body and found a fake passport..."

Couldn't have been pleasant for the chap going in nor coming out...

[MK1]

More than likely the rental car company tracked the expired rental vehicle, under suspicion of being stolen, via the car manufacturers GPS tracking system. Just a pity, stolen passports can’t be tracked utilizing the same type of technology as yet.

Edited March 17, 2014 by Rimmer
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[whoisyourdaddy]

How did street police determine passport was a fake??

Have they been in training to spot the fakes? Or have some machine available?

[lostmebike]

'...so he commanded Pol.Sub.Lt. Prasert Chaiwong (Deputy Inspector) to rush to the scene together with the police team.'

He obviously isn't familiar with Thai coppers.

'The police searched in his body and found a fake passport'

Kinky!

[Benmart]

Bravo the Thai police. They received a message from a powerful, senior person to generate positive news on arrests of foreigners holding stolen passports, to show the world how serious and able they are about this topic du jour...and here we are. Expect more of the same in the near future...

I agree. The nay sayers will line up to inject a negative spin on the story, but things are changing...albeit slowly.

[tracker1]

mmm first time in Thailand ! Many more to come ! just need a different passport

[Garry]

Iranian uses fake passport to rent cars and allegedly sell them to foreign dealers

PATTAYA: -- Over the weekend Pattaya Police arrested an Iranian National accused of renting a car in Pattaya and then sending the vehicle over the Thai-Laos border and selling the vehicle to a car dealer.

Initially Khun Pattarawadee aged 54, who runs a Car Rental Company in Soi Xzyte in Central Pattaya, was approached by the suspect, who at the time was using an Italian Passport under the name of Mr. Damarco Alfonso aged 50 and used the document, which was later found to have been produced in Laos by a friend for 30,000 Baht, to rent a Toyota Vigo 4-door pick-up on 11th March for 7 days at a cost of 10,000 Baht.

The vehicle was fitted with a GPS tracking device and the company owner tracked the vehicle to the Khong River on the border with Laos on 13th March, which led her to report the incident to Immigration Police, even though the vehicle could still have been returned before the 7 days.

Full story: http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/121821/iranian-uses-fake-passport-to-rent-cars-and-allegedly-sell-them-to-foreign-dealers/

-- Pattaya One 2014-03-17

Smart business

[NanLaew]

Another Iranian with a false/stolen passport.

"A picture of the rentee was distributed to other car rental companies in Pattaya and the man re-appeared at a rental company owned by Khun Aran aged 66 where the suspect tried to rent a Toyota Fortuna using the same fake Italian Passport".

So I would presume the original rental company didn't hold his passport.

Local car rental companies only take a copy of the customers passport, even the shonky companies. It's the motorcycle and jetski buggers that insist on holding the actual passport.

That's been my experience anyway.

[wvavin]

Probably its a setup to show the world how serious is Thailand on fake identification. I still doubt its authenticity of this case.

[Arkady]

Bravo the Thai police. They received a message from a powerful, senior person to generate positive news on arrests of foreigners holding stolen passports, to show the world how serious and able they are about this topic du jour...and here we are. Expect more of the same in the near future...

I wonder if the whole story was concocted to give kudos to the police. It sounds nonsensical. The Iranian man presumably disappeared with the car he didn't intend to return. Then suddenly 54 year old Mrs Phattarawadee somehow manages to find him, take him back to her shop and perform a citizen's arrest on the bulky looking man, making herself and Pattya's BiB look like heroes.

[Maestro]

Removed some troll posts and the replies to them.

[HughJass]

looks like the guy whose been stealing rental bikes up north

[Malthus101]

"...to rush to the scene together with the police team."

Laugh out loud.

[osiboy]

Mrs Phattaharawadee Homkhajornthanajorn ,.......... wonderered why they all have nicknames , i wonder if she remembers her classmates !

[Docno]

Well it seems the rental places demanding your passport aren't getting the protection they imagine from insisting on illegally taking passports as supposed collateral.

Does this actually happen? I have rented a lot of cars in different parts of Thailand, including some from some 'informal shops', and I've never been asked to leave my passport behind. Who would do that anyway? You're going to be driving for a few days without your passport? How do you check in at a hotel. And what happens if you get asked for ID by one of those enforcement-minded police officers (we're supposed to have our passports with us, right?).

[Scabo]

Good work to the Thai coppers.

Hopefuly now they will realise how big the problem with stolen I.D is

in Thailand.

My mrs had her I.D stolen last yr she was in big trouble until we showed the

police she had an alibi and they dropped all charges.

[animatic]

Well it seems the rental places demanding your passport aren't getting the protection they imagine from insisting on illegally taking passports as supposed collateral.

Does this actually happen? I have rented a lot of cars in different parts of Thailand, including some from some 'informal shops', and I've never been asked to leave my passport behind. Who would do that anyway? You're going to be driving for a few days without your passport? How do you check in at a hotel. And what happens if you get asked for ID by one of those enforcement-minded police officers (we're supposed to have our passports with us, right?).

I've seen it 90% or more of the time.

I've seen some take signed photocopies a few times under pressure with

'a multi-day rental in cash in their face, but I have also seen total blanket refusals,

no passport no bike.,

[Rimmer]

Troll post removed

[FiestyFarang]

Glad to see the new UK Passports have the picture etched on to them and also have two pictures so hopefully all other Passports will soon. Someday we will also have fingerprint technology widely applied to Passports and also to retailers, Immigration to check. Why should law abiding citizens have to pay for criminals or in his case an accused criminal. I wonder what would happen in he did the crime he is accused of in Iran? Chop off his hand - http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/oct/24/iran-thief-hand-cut-off

[Docno]

Well it seems the rental places demanding your passport aren't getting the protection they imagine from insisting on illegally taking passports as supposed collateral.

Does this actually happen? I have rented a lot of cars in different parts of Thailand, including some from some 'informal shops', and I've never been asked to leave my passport behind. Who would do that anyway? You're going to be driving for a few days without your passport? How do you check in at a hotel. And what happens if you get asked for ID by one of those enforcement-minded police officers (we're supposed to have our passports with us, right?).

I've seen it 90% or more of the time.

I've seen some take signed photocopies a few times under pressure with

'a multi-day rental in cash in their face, but I have also seen total blanket refusals,

no passport no bike.,

Interesting. The places I rent from only do cars (I think). Perhaps they have different risks/protection? (Though I can't guess what that could be). Or maybe I just have an honest face

[spectrumisgreen]

Probably its a setup to show the world how serious is Thailand on fake identification. I still doubt its authenticity of this case.

Could well be! Another 'after the event' crackdown, no less!! ie, Thailand, where the original passports used by the Iranian(s) on the Malaysian flight were stolen, NOW proves itself as a serious international protector, watcher and guardian of such illicit IDs!!.. one Iranian.. a fake passport.. lots of publicity... well done.. sorted.. job's a good 'un.. the world can sleep nights again!!!

Edited March 18, 2014 by spectrumisgreen