Iranian man arrested with over 1,000 fake passports

Bangkok:- An Iranian man who has been living in Thailand for some 20 years has been arrested with over 1,000 fake passports of more than 60 countries and has been charged with running a human trafficking gang.

The arrest of Murel Gurat, 45, a long-time Bangkok resident with a lot of businesses, was announced at the head office of the DSI Wednesday. Present at the press conference were representatives from the Special Branch Police Bureau and several embassies.

Gurat also had a fake passport under the name of Esrafil Bondar.

DSI Director Suwanna Suwanjutha sad Gurat was arrested by DSI and Special Branch officials at a house in Tambon Nongplua in Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung district on Sunday.

The officials found tools for forging passports in the house. On Monday, the officials searched another house of Gurat and found over 1,053 fake passports.

Evidence presented at the press conference included a hard drive with information for making fake passports and fake visa stamps.

Suwanna said Gurat was allegedly a member of an international human trafficking gang whose members include Bangladeshi and Pakistani forgers. The gang members stole passports from around the world and sent them to Gurat for forging to use them to smuggle people to third countries.

The smuggled people entered Thailand as tourists and used fake passports from Gurat to travel to third countries. Some of them might be terrorists, she added.

Pol Maj Gen Udon Yomcharoen, commander of the Special Branch Police Division 2, said Gurat was arrested after police followed tips from the arrest of another Iranian man, Seyed Ramin Miraziz Paknejad who has been arrested for forging passports. But Paknejad later jumped bail and was later re-arrested in Malaysia.

Iranian arrested as DSI busts fakepassport syndicate
Piyanuch ThamnukasetchaI
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- THE Department of Special Investigation (DSI) yesterday arrested an Iranian as it cracked down on a syndicate engaged in making fake passports, and possibly linked to international human trafficking.

S Rafil Bonda, a 45-year-old Iranian, was arrested in Chon Buri's Tambon Nang Prue and charged with stealing, receiving stolen properties, making fake documents, passports and visa stamps or stickers, said DSI chief Suwana Suwanjuta. The Iranian is a key man in the syndicate that has been doing this business in Thailand for more than 20 years, she said.

Officials seized 1,053 passports of more than 60 nationals around the world, stolen and illegally made by the gang as well as equipment from one of his houses, in Pattaya. An electronic device for personal data storage and his smart phones, which contain some information on his customers, were also confiscated.

'Front business'

The gang purchased stolen passports from around the world and reproduced them in Thailand for their customers, she said.

The DSI has been on the trail of fake passport-making syndicates for a long time and tracked down many Iranian groups involved in facilitating human trafficking from the Middle East via Thailand to Europe, North America and Australia, Suwana said. The gangs open a "front business" in the Kingdom and use Thai people as business mangers, messengers and staff, she said.

The DSI is now seeking extradition of Paknejad Siyes Ramin from Malaysia as he was arrested there after fleeing a Thai court years ago, she said. The DSI has managed to root out many Iranian syndicates involved in making fake passports over the past years, she said.

In recent years, Thai courts have sentenced at least nine Iranians from two gangs for making illegal passports in Thailand. Four persons, under a group led by a man called Tony, were sentenced to as many as 31 years in prison while persons in other groups were sentenced to not less than 10 years, she said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Iranian-arrested-as-DSI-busts-fakepassport-syndica-30256288.html

-- The Nation 2015-03-19

This guy could be a network hub for global terrorists. It should motivate the Thais to launch a full scale investigation and shake him down for his Thai big men connections.

OH MA GAH! Good job, DSI. Their job seems to be up to par with professionalism after the new govt took over.

Thailand Arrests Iranian for Alleged Passport Forgery

Thai authorities announced the arrest of an Iranian on Wednesday who is allegedly the head of one of the largest passport forgery rings in Thailand. Police and the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) seized 1,053 stolen passports from 60 countries and forgery equipment during Sunday’s arrest.

Police apprehended Murel Gurat at a home in the Chonburi province. DSI had been investigating Gurat for two years before the arrest was made. According to Col. Songsak Raksaksakul, Gurat’s network had been working in Thailand for over a decade, and is linked to the Pakistani and Bangladeshi forgers Thai authorities arrested earlier.

Authorities stated that the group purchased, sold and forged passports for people who wanted to travel to a third country. Officials are primarily concerned about transnational and terrorism crimes.

Gurat, 45, may be facing up to 10 years in jail for multiple charges, including receiving stolen property and forging passports and stolen documents. Thai officials also stated that Gurat had a fake passport under the name Esrafil Bondar. Thus far, no attorney has stepped forward to represent Gurat.

This isn’t the first time Thailand has been in the spotlight for forged documents. Last year, two passengers on the vanished Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 had boarded the aircraft with stolen passports from Thailand.

Police also arrested a 29-year-old Iranian man, Alireza Motevalli, at the Thai-Laotian border on Monday who was allegedly trying to cross the border with a fake passport. After searching Motevalli’s bag, authorities found the man’s Iranian passport. Motevalli confessed to hiring someone to obtain a fake passport in Thailand last month.

In addition to Motevalli, four Indian nationals were arrested on Sunday at Suvarnabhumi airport for trying to board the plane with forged Australian entry visas. The suspects confessed to purchasing the forged visas from a Thai man for 230,000 baht each. The men have been charged with using false documents.

-- © thaivisa.com 2015-03-19

If anyone ever doubted: Iran=State sponsored terrorism!!

Well done to the Thais to have got some of the bastards.

Using techniques I've learned from reading gangster books and watching movies I could have him singing like a canary in a very short time.

That is one big collection, good job

If anyone ever doubted: Iran=State sponsored terrorism!!

Well done to the Thais to have got some of the bastards.

With prices like those quoted, this gang were surely private-enterprise, rather than state-sponsored ?

But well-done to the authorities, for finally catching-up with them after twenty years, wonder what took them so long ?

And of course, no Thai involved? Believe that. And you will believe anything!

So now this person is gonna get pinned with all the human trafficking cases in Thailand for the last 20 years

Must be this Iranian who got all the people on the fishing boats without the ships captains knowing about it 555

Well, good for the DSI. Keep looking.

If anyone ever doubted: Iran=State sponsored terrorism!!

Well done to the Thais to have got some of the bastards.

I didn't read that bit in the report.....there was a mention that the passports may have been used for terrorists....but that was just pure speculation.

Where do you get your certainty from? Link, please.

Very good job General!

And he even couldn't buy himself out of it.

This is an important arrest and another positive step in stopping Human Trafficking and most likely, terrorism.

Kudos tho Thailand for getting this done !!!

Now bring on the Thai bashing TV ... we can not WAIT for all your negative comments.

If anyone ever doubted: Iran=State sponsored terrorism!!

Well done to the Thais to have got some of the bastards.

Why should there be any doubt when we saw the clip of an Iranian bomb maker having his own leg blown off at Soi Pridi last year?

Good thing they nailed him but what about the footer in the photo letting us know who is in the photo. What are Farang doing there Are they in the special investigative branch

Just a poor job of reporting but then again typical for a Thai

Now maybe the law will wise up. What you often don't see when they capture the terrorist criminal gangs is the stash of ID's and passports. It's always there from the Mid-East to the rest of the world.

well we all know how long it takes to sort out a passport at the British Embassy so just like this man best to be well prepared to cover all eventualities

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Good thing they nailed him but what about the footer in the photo letting us know who is in the photo. What are Farang doing there Are they in the special investigative branch

Just a poor job of reporting but then again typical for a Thai

Likely embassy/consulate representatives from some of the countries the 1,053 forged passport represent...................

Maybe this character knows something about those 2 stolen passports from Phuket, that ended up on the Malaysian airliner.

Maybe this guy should go B M too!! His character at the very least..

Signed,

Guilty until proven innocent, AND cry wolf

If anyone ever doubted: Iran=State sponsored terrorism!!

Well done to the Thais to have got some of the bastards.

Most terrorism in the world is funded by other countries than Iran...

If anyone ever doubted: Iran=State sponsored terrorism!!

Well done to the Thais to have got some of the bastards.

Most terrorism in the world is funded by other countries than Iran...

Well, we have so far Australia and the US...

Well done Thai authorities. Bound to be also used by AS etc in smuggling terrorists around the world as well.

OH MA GAH! Good job, DSI. Their job seems to be up to par with professionalism after the new govt took over.

This government deserves no special credit. Did you catch this line in the article: "The DSI has managed to root out many Iranian syndicates involved in making fake passports over the past years, she said."

There have been several such cases in the past, often with Iranians or Pakistanis running the show. For example, see: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/561337-iranian-suspected-of-producing-fake-passports-arrested-in-central-pattaya/

The unit responsible for rooting out these gangs was established within DSI in 2012 (http://www.thebigchilli.com/features/thailands-crime-busters-set-sights-on-passport-fraud-gangs). Guess that would put it under the YL administration.

At last,a king pin.

And of course, no Thai involved? Believe that. And you will believe anything!

Of course, the article does say that they "use Thai people as business mangers, messengers and staff."

Thailand Arrests Iranian for Alleged Passport Forgery

Thai authorities announced the arrest of an Iranian on Wednesday who is allegedly the head of one of the largest passport forgery rings in Thailand. Police and the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) seized 1,053 stolen passports from 60 countries and forgery equipment during Sunday’s arrest.

Police apprehended Murel Gurat at a home in the Chonburi province. DSI had been investigating Gurat for two years before the arrest was made. According to Col. Songsak Raksaksakul, Gurat’s network had been working in Thailand for over a decade, and is linked to the Pakistani and Bangladeshi forgers Thai authorities arrested earlier.

Authorities stated that the group purchased, sold and forged passports for people who wanted to travel to a third country. Officials are primarily concerned about transnational and terrorism crimes.

Gurat, 45, may be facing up to 10 years in jail for multiple charges, including receiving stolen property and forging passports and stolen documents. Thai officials also stated that Gurat had a fake passport under the name Esrafil Bondar. Thus far, no attorney has stepped forward to represent Gurat.

This isn’t the first time Thailand has been in the spotlight for forged documents. Last year, two passengers on the vanished Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 had boarded the aircraft with stolen passports from Thailand.

Police also arrested a 29-year-old Iranian man, Alireza Motevalli, at the Thai-Laotian border on Monday who was allegedly trying to cross the border with a fake passport. After searching Motevalli’s bag, authorities found the man’s Iranian passport. Motevalli confessed to hiring someone to obtain a fake passport in Thailand last month.

In addition to Motevalli, four Indian nationals were arrested on Sunday at Suvarnabhumi airport for trying to board the plane with forged Australian entry visas. The suspects confessed to purchasing the forged visas from a Thai man for 230,000 baht each. The men have been charged with using false documents.

-- © thaivisa.com 2015-03-19

AFAIK,Australian visas are electronic now,nothing in your passport.Bit nervous when we 1st used it,but worked ok.Chonburi=mafia central.

Well, good for the DSI. Keep looking.

Perhaps you mean, good job Australia, Canada, USA, UK, Netherlands, Austria, Germany, and a few other EU countries.

Here's what happened. Every time the immigration authorities in countries detected the fakes they investigated. Information was shared and a pattern identified. Pressure was brought to bear on the Thai authorities to do something. Finally, something was done.

I wouldn't be too surprised if foreign intelligence operatives did all the leg work here with the Thai police watching and offering local support.

Well done!