Indians deported for fake passports

BATAM, Riau: The immigration office here deported on Thursday three Indian citizens for holding counterfeit passports.

An immigration official, Wachiyat, told Antara the three foreigners were stopped upon arrival at Hang Nadim Airport.

Wachdiyat said the Indians acquired their passports from people in Jakarta.

He said Batam, an industrial zone which abuts Singapore, had become a main center for foreigners, leading to a sharp increase in counterfeit passports.

"We usually identify the bogus passports from the attached pictures which do not belong to their original holders," Wachdiyat said.

He said immigration officials discovered cases of foreigners who were preparing to leave the country who had illegally entered Indonesia and married Indonesian citizens.