Bangkok: Immigration police are relentless in tracking down fake passports used in Thailand as a transit point to send people to Europe.
According to Thai News Agency, Pol. Col. Pongthorn Pongrachatanan, Deputy Commander of Immigration Division 2, revealed that from 2024 to mid-2026, Immigration Division 2 has arrested suspects in more than 200 cases related to the use of forged passports and stamps. They have also expanded their investigations to 12 transnational criminal networks, with the latest case being the 13th network apprehended.
The first case involved a Sri Lankan brokerage ring that arranged migration to Europe. The ring had a systematic division of labor, including brokers and leaders, clients and their managers, and hired agents or "identity horses." These were individuals who held Western passports with facial features resembling the actual travelers, using photos of the travelers but with biographical information belonging to the real passport holders. They also used airline tickets issued in the names of the real passport holders to evade detection before traveling to the United Kingdom.
Following the arrest on May 31, 2026, of Mr. Kaaviniyan, a Sri Lankan national, by officers from the Immigration Bureau Division 2 (or the Suvarnabhumi Airport Immigration Investigation Unit), for using a forged Canadian passport under the name Mr. Akiem to travel to the United Kingdom, the discovery of irregularities led to an immediate follow-up investigation. This revealed that Mr. Akiem, a Canadian national, was the owner of the forged passport and had consented to its use. He was the one who checked in for Mr. Kaaviniyan and issued the boarding pass, leading to Mr. Akiem's subsequent arrest.
The investigation revealed that the operation was a transnational criminal network with a well-organized division of labor. Planning took place in Sri Lanka and Canada before the crucial steps were carried out in Thailand, enabling clients to travel on to the United Kingdom. The individuals involved were divided into three main groups:
Group 1, the brokers and leaders of the operation, included Mr. Sivakumar and Ms. Rukanya, a Sri Lankan married couple, who played a key role in planning, coordinating, and providing fake passports to clients. Evidence revealed that the couple entered Thailand from Sri Lanka on the day of the incident to handle the final steps for their clients' travel to England. However, after Mr. Kaaviniyan and Mr. Akiem were arrested, the brokers attempted to evade authorities, changing locations several times, including Pattaya, before returning to Bangkok and heading south. They were eventually apprehended by immigration officers in Sadao District, Songkhla Province, while attempting to flee to Malaysia.
Group 2, the clients and their caregivers, includes Mr. Kaaviniyan and Mr. Dilaxshan. Mr. Dilaxshan is a Sri Lankan national and the younger brother of Ms. Rukanya, who was assigned to take care of the clients. He traveled to Thailand with Ms. Rukanya before being taken to Bangkok to prepare for their trip to England on the day of the incident. Mr. Kaaviniyan was with Ms. Rukanya from April 24, 1969. The investigation revealed that Mr. Dilaxshan was responsible for accompanying clients and transporting them to the airport before fleeing with a group of brokers. However, before authorities could identify and apprehend him, Mr. Dilaxshan had already fled across the border to Malaysia. Nevertheless, immigration investigators at the airport have gathered evidence and obtained an arrest warrant from the court.
Group 3, the "Identity Horse" group and their handlers, includes Mr. Akiem and Mr. Sayanthan, both Canadian citizens. Mr. Akiem consented to having his personal information used to create fake passports and checked in with the airline to obtain boarding passes, which the clients then used to travel on his behalf. Mr. Saythan, a Canadian citizen born in Sri Lanka, was responsible for overseeing and controlling Mr. Akiem from the moment they arrived in Canada. Both traveled to Thailand together on May 29, 1969. Investigations revealed that Mr. Saythan accompanied Mr. Akiem to check in for the airline and delivered the boarding pass to the brokers at the hotel before helping Mr. Akiem escape to Don Mueang Airport. Subsequently, Mr. Saythan joined a group of traffickers and fled back to Canada before being apprehended. However, the investigative team has gathered sufficient evidence to obtain an arrest warrant from the court as well.
This case has led to the arrest of six members of the network, four of whom have been apprehended: a Sri Lankan traveler, a Canadian accomplice, and two ringleaders. Two other suspects have fled the country and arrest warrants have been issued. All are being prosecuted on charges of "jointly possessing and using forged passports" and "participating in a transnational organized crime syndicate," as the operation planned across multiple countries including Sri Lanka, Canada, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia.
The second case involves a transnational criminal network in Malaysia that trafficked Sri Lankan children to obtain Malaysian birth certificates. These certificates were then used to apply for genuine Malaysian passports, which were then used to travel to European countries. A Malaysian woman acted as a facilitator, falsely posing as the children's mother. This case involves a Sri Lankan family consisting of Ms. Anusa (mother) and her two sons, Mr. Merlin, 14 years old, and Mr. Sheron, 5 years old, who wished to travel to Kazakhstan. The family entered Thailand on May 28, 2069, using Sri Lankan passports, before departing Thailand for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on June 3, 2069.
Subsequently, on June 12, 1969, the family traveled from Malaysia to Kazakhstan, transiting through Suvarnabhumi Airport. However, on this trip, they used Malaysian passports and were accompanied by Ms. Liviya, a Malaysian national, who acted as a facilitator, claiming to be the mother of the two boys. During the boarding process, airline staff noticed something suspicious and refused to allow the four individuals to board. The group then purchased tickets in the airside area to change their travel route to Yangon, Myanmar instead. This incident was a crucial starting point, leading to a tip-off from the airline to the Don Mueang Immigration checkpoint investigation team, who immediately began tracking their movements.
On June 17, 2069, the four individuals booked tickets with a different airline, switching to AirAsia to travel to Almaty, Kazakhstan. They were transiting from Yangon via Don Mueang Airport. While presenting themselves at the boarding gate, they were intercepted by immigration officers at Don Mueang Airport, led by Pol. Lt. Col. Ekaphong Mahathanawanich, Deputy Superintendent of Don Mueang Airport Immigration. The investigating officers presented themselves and requested to inspect the passports of all four individuals. Upon inspection, it was found that Ms. Liviya held all the passports and informed the officers that the two boys were her sons. However, a more detailed investigation revealed that Ms. Anusha and Mr. Merlin had illegally used Malaysian passports belonging to others. As for Mr. Sheron, the younger son, it is believed his passport is genuine. This aligns with information previously received by the Immigration Bureau 2 from law enforcement agencies in the UK, Canada, and Sri Lanka, indicating a t ransnational organized crime group in Malaysia that was using Sri Lankan children to obtain Malaysian birth certificates. Once these certificates were obtained, they were used as supporting documents to obtain real passports for travel to European countries.
Finally, immigration officers at Don Mueang Airport arrested Ms. Anusha and Ms. Liviya on charges of "illegitimately using another person's passport in a manner likely to cause harm to others or the public, and being accomplices in enabling others to illegally use another person's passport," under Section 269/11 of the Criminal Code. For the two Sri Lankan boys, authorities have initiated the Child Protection and Trafficking Victim Screening (NRM) process. The screening results indicate that the two boys are not victims of human trafficking. Preliminary witness interviews are currently underway, and coordination is being made with the Sri Lankan Embassy to facilitate their repatriation.
Pol. Col. Pongthorn said that questioning revealed the Sri Lankan victim paid the broker approximately 900,000 rupees, or over 313,000 Thai baht, for the entire operation. The horse received 2,500 Canadian dollars, or over 58,000 Thai baht. Pol. Maj. Gen. Panthana Nuchanart stated that these two cases reflect that passport forgery and fraudulent use today is not just the work of individuals, but rather the operation of transnational organized crime groups with divided roles, planning across multiple countries, and using international airports as routes to transport individuals to third countries. Therefore, emphasis is placed on in-depth investigations, information exchange with agencies both domestically and internationally, and expanding investigations to include all those involved at every level.
The Immigration Bureau confirmed that it will continue to intensify its crackdown on passport forgery, identity theft, illegal travel to third countries, and the use of Thailand as a transit point for criminal activities. It will also integrate cooperation with airlines, airports, security agencies, and law enforcement agencies of other countries to upgrade immigration standards and maintain national security.