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.
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 wasarrested in Thailand for allegedly producing fake passports for transnationalcriminals and those having links with the Islamic State (IS), Thai mediareported on January 16.
According to an anonymous source, Muhammad Iqbal, a51-year-old man, was captured during a police-army raid in Phasi Charoendistrict of Bangkok on January 14.
A body search found four Indian and three Singaporeanpassports at the time of the arrest while equipment used for making fakedocuments and passports found in his apartment. Iqbal is being detained at anundisclosed location.
The arrest was made as a result of an extended probeafter Iranian national Hamid Reza Jafary was nabbed in 2016.
Hamid and Iqbal are believed to be members of a network makingcounterfeiting documents to supply to people from Middle Eastern countries whowish to travel to Europe and Australia. They are also suspected to supply fakedocuments to IS.
Thai police is investigating with the help of Malaysiancounterparts if Iqbal was also involved in producing fake passports in 2016 and2017 for militants from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and possibly Thailandwho wanted to join IS in the Middle East.-VNA
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Muhammad Iqbal, a 51-year-old Pakistani man, was arrested for allegedly producing fake passports for transnational criminals. (Photo: bangkokpost.com) 
