Police in Thailand have said they have arrested an international fake passport forger who was known as ‘The Doctor’.
His counterfeit documents were custom-ordered from the Middle East to be used by thousands of migrants trying to reach Europe.
It has emerged that Thailand has growing market for fake passports that supplies human tracking gangs with the documents.
Officials have raised concerns that terrorists could be using these fake documents to reach Europe and conduct atrocities.
The raid was part of a five-year police operation.
Hamid Reza Jafary is suspected to be the ringleader who operates under the alias of ‘The Doctor’.
A police spokesperson released a statement saying: “It is the largest passport forgery ring to have been arrested in the country in the past few years,” said Gen Nathathorn. “He produced passports for people from countries including Iran, Syria and Afghanistan who were escaping wars and wanted to enter Europe.”
Over 170 passports were recovered from his premises that were already custom-made for clients.
Stamping machines, watermark blocks, fake Thai visa stickers and engraving machinery were also seized.
