Thai immigration officers arrest Russian for using stolen Spanish passport

[webfact]

Russian Arrested for Using Stolen Spanish Passport

SA KAEO – A Russian National Ayrat Khabiryanov,27, has been arrested for using a stolen Spanish passport, Thursday at a border checkpoint in Aranyaprathet district as he tried to cross into Cambodia.

Plain clothed army rangers and immigration officers working around Ayanyaprathet district spotted the man walking from the Rong Klua border market towards the Aranthaprathet immigration building on Thursday.

They stopped him at passport control and asked to check his documents, said Pol Col Pairat Pukcharoen, chief of Sa Kaeo immigration checkpoint.

Khabiryanov was detained for questioning pending verification of the seized passport by the Spanish embassy. The embassy replied that the owner of the passport had reported it lost on June 9.

Full story: http://www.chiangraitimes.com/russian-arrested-for-using-stolen-spanish-passport.html


-- Chiang Rai Times 2015-11-20

[thesetat2013]

Sounds like entrapment set up. I they just saw the man walking through the market and then decided "hey! Let's pull him aside and check his passport"!

[Jessi]

Sounds like entrapment set up. I they just saw the man walking through the market and then decided "hey! Let's pull him aside and check his passport"!

This guy was on their watch list. Well done.

[pinkpanther99]

Sounds like entrapment set up. I they just saw the man walking through the market and then decided "hey! Let's pull him aside and check his passport"!

This guy was on their watch list. Well done.

Agreed. This guy is clearly up to no good, using a stolen passport, having already been arrested in 2013 with links to Russian mafia and loan sharks.

We give Immigration a lot of stick (often rightly so) but this is one occasion where they should be given credit in my opinion.

This Russian guy is also exactly the type of person the officials here should be booting out of Thailand!!

[Hawk]

Why is this stupid story even in the news? Who cares.

[AngelHeather]

Someone might have given them a tip on this guy ....

[nithisa78]

Sounds like entrapment set up. I they just saw the man walking through the market and then decided "hey! Let's pull him aside and check his passport"!

You don't know what entrapment means.

[Jessi]

Why is this stupid story even in the news? Who cares.

A lot of people, you can start with the family's of the ones that were killed in the BKK bomb a few months ago.

[kiwikeith]

Sounds like entrapment set up. I they just saw the man walking through the market and then decided "hey! Let's pull him aside and check his passport"!

This guy was on their watch list. Well done.

Agreed. This guy is clearly up to no good, using a stolen passport, having already been arrested in 2013 with links to Russian mafia and loan sharks.

We give Immigration a lot of stick (often rightly so) but this is one occasion where they should be given credit in my opinion.

This Russian guy is also exactly the type of person the officials here should be booting out of Thailand!!

Exactly, very suspicious looking person , denied any link to islamic state ,looks very shifty, job well done.

If he overstayed one year 20,000 BHT cheaper than a $10.000 dollar passport.

[thesetat2013]

Sounds like entrapment set up. I they just saw the man walking through the market and then decided "hey! Let's pull him aside and check his passport"!

You don't know what entrapment means.

And you clearly do not know English enough to read what is not being said.

[nithisa78]

Why is this stupid story even in the news? Who cares.

A lot of people, you can start with the family's of the ones that were killed in the BKK bomb a few months ago.

Jessi, Respect sir. Though you can be certain that went way over it's head.

[sanukjim]

Why is this stupid story even in the news? Who cares.

Hawk.Go back to reading the comics.News is not for you.

[cesarm001]

Why is this stupid story even in the news? Who cares.

If you do not like the news here just tell us why you still subscribed ????? now that are good news agreed ???..... Why you still subscribed hey ...let us know please

[AlQaholic]

The accountant apparently.

[Tarteso]

Why is this stupid story even in the news? Who cares.

To me, for example... I;m Spanish and I know the relatives of the real owner of the passport.

[skildpadden]

Well done to immigration officials. This appears to be a shady guy - as others posters mention why pay 10,000 USD when you can pay 20K overstay fine instead.

[Jessi]

Why is this stupid story even in the news? Who cares.

A lot of people, you can start with the family's of the ones that were killed in the BKK bomb a few months ago.

Jessi, Respect sir. Though you can be certain that went way over it's head.

I understand. I dont usually reply to posters like this as they are a waste of oxygen. But this one got up my nose.

[Bob12345]

Khabiryanov was detained for questioning pending verification of the seized passport by the Spanish embassy. The embassy replied that the owner of the passport had reported it lost on June 9.

First of all: good work of the officers for catching this guy!

Second, I thought this process should have been automated by now. Like the owner of the passport reports his passport stolen, the Spanish government enters the passport number to the watch list, and as soon as an immigration officer anywhere in the world holds the stolen passport under the scanner the alarms go off.

Or is this what happened and "pending verification" means the alarms went off and now they are double checking?

(i guess not otherwise why would someone try to use a stolen passport to cross a border if the chance of getting caught is around 100% in case the owner reported it stolen, unless it was stolen just hours ago).

Does anybody know how this works in Thailand specifically?

[Bob12345]

Why is this stupid story even in the news? Who cares.

To me, for example... I;m Spanish and I know the relatives of the real owner of the passport.

Just out of personal curiosity (and regarding the question I just asked right above this post), do you know how much time passed between the passport being stolen and reporting it stolen?

(assuming the person has an idea when it was stolen with hindsight)

Edited November 20, 2015 by Bob12345

[ironbark]

Beefed up security due to concerns about terrorism must be making life hell for the ordinary criminal .

[tom21]

I think there is more involved than overstaying his visa

[Strangebrew]

I'm sure most long term expats here know what a good part of the Russian's are doing here and a lot of it is no good .But that also goes for other nationalities as well It help's to have a little street smarts if your going to live here.

[geriatrickid]

Agreed. This guy is clearly up to no good, using a stolen passport, having already been arrested in 2013 with links to Russian mafia and loan sharks.

We give Immigration a lot of stick (often rightly so) but this is one occasion where they should be given credit in my opinion.

This Russian guy is also exactly the type of person the officials here should be booting out of Thailand!!

Excuse me, but why was this chap still in the country? He was an undesirable when linked to criminal activity back in 2013. Shouldn't the immigration department have made an effort to get rid of this person who obviously did not satisfy the long stay requirements under Thai law, back in 2013? Oh wait. He was in Pattaya. Me bad. The rule of law apparently does not apply in Sodom & Gomorrah by the sea.

Why is this stupid story even in the news? Who cares.

Because it seems that foreign intelligence and police agencies are finally getting some co-operation from Thailand.

Exactly, very suspicious looking person , denied any link to islamic state ,looks very shifty, job well done.

If he overstayed one year 20,000 BHT cheaper than a $10.000 dollar passport.

Seriously? He looks like a "very suspicious" person? Are you bereft of common sense? He looks like many other plump eastern Europeans.

What does his denying a link to the Islamic State mean?

I believe that he's from Bashkortostan, but that doesn't make him an Islamic terrorist. He seems to be more of a bottom feeder opportunistic Russian criminal. Judging from his activity, he doesn't fit the profile of a jihadist. Have you considered that he was most likely ineligible for a long stay visa because of his criminal activity? That's why he needed someone's passport.

Which foreign police service forced the issue? Was it an EU agency? The Australians who have taken on additional security responsibilities on behalf of its allies? Unlikely it was the USA, since this guy was allegedly hurting EU nationals. Doubt it was the Russians. I'm going to put my money on the UK security service(s).

[steven23]

OMG, everywhere we go we behave as a pig. so ashamed of russians sometime!

[Brer Fox]

An extra 35 baht paid for your plane ticket is justified. The extra security is sure to stop the likes of this scoundrel ever entering Thailand in the first place. All of those who agree please raise you hand.

[from the home of CC]

Agreed. This guy is clearly up to no good, using a stolen passport, having already been arrested in 2013 with links to Russian mafia and loan sharks.

We give Immigration a lot of stick (often rightly so) but this is one occasion where they should be given credit in my opinion.

This Russian guy is also exactly the type of person the officials here should be booting out of Thailand!!

Excuse me, but why was this chap still in the country? He was an undesirable when linked to criminal activity back in 2013. Shouldn't the immigration department have made an effort to get rid of this person who obviously did not satisfy the long stay requirements under Thai law, back in 2013? Oh wait. He was in Pattaya. Me bad. The rule of law apparently does not apply in Sodom & Gomorrah by the sea.

Why is this stupid story even in the news? Who cares.

Because it seems that foreign intelligence and police agencies are finally getting some co-operation from Thailand.

Exactly, very suspicious looking person , denied any link to islamic state ,looks very shifty, job well done.

If he overstayed one year 20,000 BHT cheaper than a $10.000 dollar passport.

Seriously? He looks like a "very suspicious" person? Are you bereft of common sense? He looks like many other plump eastern Europeans.

What does his denying a link to the Islamic State mean?

I believe that he's from Bashkortostan, but that doesn't make him an Islamic terrorist. He seems to be more of a bottom feeder opportunistic Russian criminal. Judging from his activity, he doesn't fit the profile of a jihadist. Have you considered that he was most likely ineligible for a long stay visa because of his criminal activity? That's why he needed someone's passport.

Which foreign police service forced the issue? Was it an EU agency? The Australians who have taken on additional security responsibilities on behalf of its allies? Unlikely it was the USA, since this guy was allegedly hurting EU nationals. Doubt it was the Russians. I'm going to put my money on the UK security service(s).

[Tarteso]

Why is this stupid story even in the news? Who cares.

To me, for example... I;m Spanish and I know the relatives of the real owner of the passport.

Just out of personal curiosity (and regarding the question I just asked right above this post), do you know how much time passed between the passport being stolen and reporting it stolen?

(assuming the person has an idea when it was stolen with hindsight)

The passport was stolen few hours before reporting the loss to the Spanish embassy, It is a long process administratively to duplicate, including to check. I had the same problem in Morocco a few years ago. Some kids stole my backpack on the terrace of a coffee shop in a careless and rushed to disappear. The problems and waiting for the duplicate was long. 4 years ago I am living in thailand. Don't know how works the Russian mafia, I keep in my bag only copy , the original always very safely.

[halloween]

Habla Espanol?

Nyet.

[Tarteso]

Habla Espanol?

Nyet.

5555... match point, Sir!

[Siamwhiteelephant]

Why is this stupid story even in the news? Who cares.

Hawk.Go back to reading the comics.News is not for you.

That’s right. This Russian guy’s the sort who might skim off ATMs, scam, or stoop to other kinds of skulduggery. This incident could well be a snapshot or thin edge of the wedge of an immeasurably bigger picture of that crime world. Russians don’t have a good record in this area. If you were on the receiving end of his likely shady dealings, Hawk, you’d care.

Edited November 20, 2015 by Siamwhiteelephant