Syrian woman and Afghan men nabbed in Phuket passport scam
Phuket International Airport turned into a hotspot for international intrigue on Monday as immigration officers caught three travellers attempting to pass through with forged passports.
In the first bust, a 27 year old Syrian woman, whose name was withheld, was apprehended trying to enter Thailand with a fake Italian passport. The arrest occurred in the international arrivals hall at about 11am, on Monday, December 9. She faces charges of using or possessing for use a forged passport and was transferred to Sakhu Police Station, officers confirmed.
Adding to the drama, two Afghan nationals were caught later the same day attempting to leave the country with fake Kazakhstan passports. The two men, 24 year old Abdul Bashir Kawoskgar and 20 year old Mustafa Ahadi, were stopped as they prepared to board Bangkok Airways flight PG276. Their planned itinerary included a connection to Milan, Italy, but instead, they ended up in custody.
Immigration officers have been tight-lipped about further details but stressed their ongoing vigilance in intercepting forged travel documents.
“Our officers are trained to spot these attempts. These arrests highlight the importance of border security.”
The arrests underscore the growing sophistication of international passport forgery and the risks posed to global travel networks. Thai police are now investigating whether the three cases are linked to a broader criminal operation, reported Phuket News.
In related news, a 33 year old logistics operator from Satara, India, found himself in hot water at Mumbai International Airport. Immigration officials detained the Indian man just before he could board a flight to Thailand, uncovering his audacious attempt to conceal past trips from his wife.
In other news, police apprehended a couple accused of deceiving job seekers into paying them 70,000 baht each for overseas employment arrangements, ultimately providing nothing more than counterfeit documents. The pair were taken into custody by officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau at a residence in the Prasert Manukit area of Bangkok.
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