Two nabbed with 500 fake US passports

BANGKOK: -- A team of Thai-US officials have seized 500 fake US passports and arrested a Thai man and a Pakistani in a joint sting operation in Bangkok, police said Wednesday.

Intizar Hussain, 42, from Pakistan, and Thai Indian Pradit Dubay, whose age is unknown, were arrested at a department store in Thon Buri on Tuesday evening with 500 fake US passports and 432 fake US passport seals, used to cover the passport photo page.

Lt General Viroj Chantarangsi, commander of metropolitan police, said he was contacted by US embassy security staff in February about a fake passport gang.

After nine months of investigation, police went undercover and pretended to buy 500 fake US passports for Bt1.25 million, or Bt2,500 apiece at the department store.

The two suspects later confessed that they had also falsified passports from Singapore, Britain, France, Italy and Malaysia.

Police said the gang hired various printing shops across Bangkok to produce fake passports during the night.

The Nation, AFP

I am really curious to know how a fake passport works.

How do you fake a passport that supposedly has a chip in it?

Has anyone heard of a person making it into a country with a fake passport? Or are these passports only good in getting a person into a country other than the one that is is supossedly issued from?

What about all the visa stamps that would normally be in the passport?

Aren't the passport numbers duplicated?

I'm just honestly curious.

Oh great, I wonder how many got out into circulation. Sheez.

I am really curious to know how a fake passport works.

How do you fake a passport that supposedly has a chip in it?

Has anyone heard of a person making it into a country with a fake passport? Or are these passports only good in getting a person into a country other than the one that is is supossedly issued from?

What about all the visa stamps that would normally be in the passport?

Aren't the passport numbers duplicated?

I'm just honestly curious.

Good question. People I know who have used false passports have used stolen (or sold) ones and then the photos have been changed by the forgers. Presumably the owners did not report them missing. An Eastern European friend had no problem leaving Thailand and going on a trip to Japan on a stolen NZ passport. That's 4 immigration checks passed.

Of course many people use passports not to travel but to open bank accounts and other activities that require photo ID.

In Europe traveling I am usually just waved through as soon as they see its a UK passport. Walked into Spain off a flight 2 weeks ago, they didn't even ask me to open the passport. Only the most recent ones have chips in...a fake one could be made that was issued 5 years ago.

Usually only the desperate would use these to travel on, more likely they are used as ID to get bank loans etc.

Problem is made worse when police are unconcerned.

Edited October 13, 200619 yr by vinny

In Europe traveling I am usually just waved through as soon as they see its a UK passport. Walked into Spain off a flight 2 weeks ago, they didn't even ask me to open the passport. Only the most recent ones have chips in...a fake one could be made that was issued 5 years ago.

Usually only the desperate would use these to travel on, more likely they are used as ID to get bank loans etc.

Correct. Identity theft and other high-tech crimes are endemic now. People in the UK are buying paper / document shredders to safely dispose of bank statements / credit card data; etc.

Coming here soon. Rife in Malaysia already.

I am really curious to know how a fake passport works.

How do you fake a passport that supposedly has a chip in it?

Has anyone heard of a person making it into a country with a fake passport? Or are these passports only good in getting a person into a country other than the one that is is supossedly issued from?

What about all the visa stamps that would normally be in the passport?

Aren't the passport numbers duplicated?

I'm just honestly curious.

Good question. People I know who have used false passports have used stolen (or sold) ones and then the photos have been changed by the forgers. Presumably the owners did not report them missing. An Eastern European friend had no problem leaving Thailand and going on a trip to Japan on a stolen NZ passport. That's 4 immigration checks passed.

Of course many people use passports not to travel but to open bank accounts and other activities that require photo ID.

nice quality of friends

Well let's just hope that these two scumbags (and eventually their accomplices) never 'pass a port' for many years to come...

I am really curious to know how a fake passport works.

How do you fake a passport that supposedly has a chip in it?

My daughter just recived her new US passport and it does not have a chip in it.The US is suppose to be doing that in the futare but I guess not yet.

US passports are for Muslim terorist to show that they did kill an omerican and hence they can claim 200$ reward per head. There's nothing to do with that book else.