PHUKET — On September 30, officers from the Phuket International Airport Immigration (arrival) arrested Mr. Abdulkarim, aged 23, and Mr. Mohamad, also 23, on charges of using or possessing forged passports. The two had used passports from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to travel with Batik Air Malaysia, flight OD540, on the Kuala Lumpur-Phuket route.
However, the passports lacked the UAE state seal stamped on the facial images.
Upon inspection, officers noticed several suspicious elements:
- Incorrect positioning of the state seal image
- Absence of security fibers under UV light
- Abnormal book binding
- Laser perforations not meeting standards
- Front cover details not matching genuine passports
The officers stated that cases of passport forgery had been consistently encountered. They interrogated the two men and searched their belongings, discovering their genuine Syrian passports hidden among their possessions.
During questioning, the suspects confessed that they had forged the passports due to the threat of war in Syria. They were subsequently handed over to the inquiry officer at Saku Police Station for legal proceedings.
Officials stated that after legal proceedings are completed, the suspects will be deported back to Syria.
The Syrian civil war, which commenced in March 2011, represents a complex and multifaceted conflict that continues to impact the Middle Eastern geopolitical landscape.
Initially emerging as part of the broader Arab Spring movement, the conflict originated with widespread protests against the authoritarian regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
The situation rapidly escalated from civil unrest to armed conflict as opposition groups formed in response to the government’s harsh tactics. By mid-2012, the crisis had evolved into a full-scale civil war, involving various domestic and international actors.
The conflict persists, albeit with diminished intensity. While the level of violence has subsided, a definitive resolution to the war remains elusive.
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