Syrian nationals detained in Phuket for alleged forged passports

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.

The initial arrest took place within the International Departures Hall of Phuket International Airport on Monday. The HKT Immigration Checkpoint Facebook page, managed by the Immigration Bureau division responsible for airport passport control, made the announcement.

By Wednesday, two more individuals were detained at an undisclosed hotel located in Patong. The investigation at this stage was a collaborative effort between officers from the Phuket Provincial Immigration Office and the Region 6 Immigration Office.

While the identities of the Syrians have not been released, nor details surrounding how they procured the counterfeit UAE passports, certain facts have been disclosed. The two individuals arrested on Wednesday had travelled to Phuket from Songkhla province. Prior to their arrest, they had lodged at two distinct hotels within Patong.

The three Syrian suspects are now facing charges for the possession and usage of counterfeit passports, reported Phuket News.

In related news, officers from the Immigration Bureau arrested two Chinese men at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok for attempting to travel to Taiwan on fake Canadian passports. EVA Air check-in staff reported to the immigration police that two Chinese nationals presented their Canadian passports at the counter for the flights to Taipei in Taiwan.

In other news, Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) officers arrested a Frenchman in the northern province of Chiang Mai for making and selling fake identification (ID) cards of French citizens. Unfortunately, another French suspect managed to evade the arrest. The French authorities discovered the sale of counterfeit ID cards on the dark web.