Terrorists may be using NZ passports

Police fear al Qaeda terrorists using NZ passports following arrest of 2 men in Thailand and seizure of fake NZ passports

29 April 2004
There are fears al Qaeda terrorists may be roaming the world, passing themselves off as New Zealanders.

It follows the arrest of two men in Thailand, and the seizure of 11 fake New Zealand passports.

Police picked up the Thai and his Pakistani accomplice in an undercover raid in Bangkok on Monday.

The forged New Zealand documents are among 23 fake passports found in their apartment.

The arrests followed the arrest last month of another Pakistani suspect, found with 12 fake New Zealand passports.

The Bangkok Post newspaper says the passports might have been used by al Qaeda-linked terrorist suspects or human traffickers.

The documents have serial numbers beginning with N379, which allows visa-free entry to several countries.

Thai police say terrorist suspects arrested in Europe have travelled to several nations carrying fake passports with such serial numbers.

© 2009 NZCity, IRN