Dutch man arrested over fake passport

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): A Dutch national was arrested on Thursday for using a fake passport to live in Makassar for two years, an Immigration official said here on Friday.

The man, identified as Frans Hubert Wessel, is now in the custody of the Makassar Immigration Office, the head of the supervision department at Makassar Immigration, Rustanto, said.

"The immigration officers arrested him when he was about to apply for a new passport."

"He admitted a Makassar Immigration official helped him obtain the (fake) passport when he arrived here for the first time two years ago," said Rustanto.

Rustanto said suspicion to the originality of Wessel's passport was raised in November of last year when the Dutch man applied for a new passport.

"His address is Batu, Malang, East Java in the passport, while many people know he lives in the Mattoanging subdistrict in Makassar, and is known as Frans Stefanus".

"The Batu, Malang, Immigration Office informed us that Wessel had financial problems in his country, and confirmed that the man did not live in Batu."

According to Rustanto, he has identified the official who helped Wessel obtain the fake passport. "We will have him transferred and demoted." (27/sur)