Fugitive passport kingpin captured in Bangkok hideout

A fugitive passport forgery mastermind who had been on the run from Chinese authorities has been apprehended in Bangkok’s upscale Sathorn district. Police revealed the arrest of the suspect, known only as Chun, in a late-night raid at a condominium on Suan Phlu Road.

Deputy Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, Police Major General Phanthana Nutchanart, disclosed the details yesterday, confirming Chun’s capture. The fugitive had been eluding capture since an arrest warrant was issued by the Criminal Court on April 17. Charged with falsifying and using forged passports, Chun had been posing as a Surinamese national to evade detection.

Immigration Division 4 had been hot on the trail of a foreign syndicate specialising in passport forgery and illegal immigration. With the green light from the Bangkok South Criminal Court, investigators zeroed in on a Sathon condominium where they discovered Chun.

He presented documents asserting his tenancy, but a deeper search revealed a trove of incriminating items. Among the seized items were a driving licence, bank passbooks, and several passport copies, according to Pol. Maj. Gen. Phanthana.

A pivotal discovery was a Taiwanese passport bearing Chun’s name. However, upon verification with Taiwanese authorities, it was confirmed to be counterfeit, reported Bangkok Post.

Further collaboration with Chinese authorities solidified Chun’s true identity as a Chinese national and the ringleader of the passport forgery operation.

In related news, a trio of Syrian nationals were detained by the Immigration Bureau of the Royal Thai Police in Phuket for allegedly carrying forged passports. Law enforcement officials first apprehended a suspect at the Phuket International Airport when he attempted to leave the country using a fraudulent United Arab Emirates passport. Subsequently, two other individuals were taken into custody on the island.

In other news, the Thai authorities arrested three agency operators for forging documents to submit visa applications to various embassies, seizing numerous counterfeit items. The suspects confessed to their crimes and are now facing legal proceedings.