Syrians arrested at Phuket Airport with fake passports

In a dramatic bust at Phuket International Airport yesterday, two Syrian men were arrested for attempting to enter Thailand with forged passports.

The suspects, Abdulkarim and Mohamad, both aged 23, yesterday, September 30, travelled from Kuala Lumpur to Phuket on Batik Air Malaysia, flight OD540. They presented what appeared to be United Arab Emirates (UAE) passports—but they didn’t fool the sharp-eyed immigration officers.

According to officials, the passports were riddled with red flags. The UAE state seal was suspiciously placed, security fibres were missing under UV light, the bookbinding was abnormal, and laser perforations were substandard. Even the front cover details didn’t match genuine UAE passports. After a thorough search, the officers found the men’s real Syrian passports hidden in their belongings.

Under questioning, the two confessed that they had resorted to passport forgery to escape the ongoing war in Syria. They explained that the relentless conflict had driven them to desperate measures, fearing for their safety.

“The threat of war made us do this.”

Following their arrest, both men were handed over to the inquiry officer at Saku Police Station, where they face legal proceedings. Once the case concludes, Thai officials plan to deport the pair back to Syria.

The Syrian Civil War, which erupted in 2011, continues to create chaos and drive people to take dangerous risks like this. Although the conflict has eased, peace remains out of reach, leaving many Syrians in search of a way out, reported KhaoSod English.

In related news, Thai immigration officials apprehended the leader of a Russian gang involved in the production and distribution of counterfeit passports. The operation, which caused damages exceeding 30 million baht, had its manufacturing hub in the Dominican Republic before smuggling the fake documents into Thailand.

In other 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.