Police smash gang making fake passports 27/08/2007 00:00

27 August 2007

MADRID - Spanish police have helped smash an Iranian crime ring based in Thailand which produced fake Spanish passports and other identity papers, the Spanish interior ministry said Monday.

Police in Thailand and Japan detained 26 people who were part of the ring and seized 44 fake passports, four driving licences, two identity cards as well as material used to produce the documents, it said in a statement.

Police also seized one kilogramme (2.2 pounds) of cocaine as part of their investigation which lasted six months, it added.

The passports, which were stolen, were sent to Thailand where they were altered and falsified with the aim of facilitating people trafficking, mainly into Japan.

Police detained 25 members of the ring, including the leader who was identified as 28-year-old Hosein K., in Thailand.

One person was arrested in Japan. Police believe he received the people who travelled with the fake documents provided by the ring to Tokyo and then transported them to other parts of the country.

Six of the people were arrested at Bangkok airport as they tried to board flights to Japan with fake papers provided by the ring.

[Copyright AFP with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news