Muhammad Iqbal, a 51-year-old Pakistani man, was arrested for allegedly producing fake passports for transnational criminals. (Photo: bangkokpost.com) Bangkok (VNA) – A Pakistani national was arrested in Thailand for allegedly producing fake passports for transnational criminals and those having links with the Islamic State (IS), Thai media reported on January 16.
According to an anonymous source, Muhammad Iqbal, a 51-year-old man, was captured during a police-army raid in Phasi Charoen district of Bangkok on January 14.
A body search found four Indian and three Singaporean passports at the time of the arrest while equipment used for making fake documents and passports found in his apartment. Iqbal is being detained at an undisclosed location.
The arrest was made as a result of an extended probe after Iranian national Hamid Reza Jafary was nabbed in 2016.
Hamid and Iqbal are believed to be members of a network making counterfeiting documents to supply to people from Middle Eastern countries who wish to travel to Europe and Australia. They are also suspected to supply fake documents to IS.
Thai police is investigating with the help of Malaysian counterparts if Iqbal was also involved in producing fake passports in 2016 and 2017 for militants from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and possibly Thailand who wanted to join IS in the Middle East.-VNA
According to an anonymous source, Muhammad Iqbal, a 51-year-old man, was captured during a police-army raid in Phasi Charoen district of Bangkok on January 14.
A body search found four Indian and three Singaporean passports at the time of the arrest while equipment used for making fake documents and passports found in his apartment. Iqbal is being detained at an undisclosed location.
The arrest was made as a result of an extended probe after Iranian national Hamid Reza Jafary was nabbed in 2016.
Hamid and Iqbal are believed to be members of a network making counterfeiting documents to supply to people from Middle Eastern countries who wish to travel to Europe and Australia. They are also suspected to supply fake documents to IS.
Thai police is investigating with the help of Malaysian counterparts if Iqbal was also involved in producing fake passports in 2016 and 2017 for militants from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and possibly Thailand who wanted to join IS in the Middle East.-VNA
VNA
