Phuket International Airport became the focal point of a dramatic international passport forgery operation on Monday, December 9, when three individuals were apprehended by immigration officers for attempting to use counterfeit travel documents.
The first arrest involved a 27-year-old Syrian woman, whose name was withheld, who was caught trying to enter Thailand with a forged Italian passport. The incident occurred around 11 am in the international arrivals hall. The woman now faces charges of using or possessing a forged passport and was immediately transferred to Sakhu Police Station.
Later that day, two Afghan nationals—24-year-old Abdul Bashir Kawoskgar and 20-year-old Mustafa Ahadi—were arrested as they tried to board a Bangkok Airways flight bound for Milan, Italy. The two men had been using fake Kazakhstan passports in an attempt to leave Thailand. Their travel plans were abruptly halted as they were taken into custody.
Immigration officers, while withholding further details, emphasized the importance of their rigorous border security procedures. “Our officers are trained to spot these attempts. These arrests highlight the importance of border security,” an official stated.
The arrests point to the increasing sophistication of passport forgery operations, which pose a growing risk to global travel networks. Thai authorities are investigating whether the three cases are connected to a larger criminal operation.
In a separate development, a 33-year-old logistics operator from Satara, India, was detained at Mumbai International Airport for attempting to conceal previous travel from his wife before he could board a flight to Thailand.
Additionally, a couple in Bangkok was arrested by the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau for deceiving job seekers into paying 70,000 baht each for non-existent overseas job placements, providing nothing but counterfeit documents in return.
