Three Foreign Nationals Caught Using Forged Passports at Soetta Airport

Three foreign nationals—a Moroccan identified as HS (31), a Nigerian identified as AI (52), and an Iraqi identified as ADA (28)—were apprehended at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang for using forged passports.

The immigration authorities discovered the fraudulent documents when officers detected irregularities in the travel documents. The head of the Special Class I Immigration Office at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Galih Priya Kartika Perdhana, stated that security features on the passports were missing, including watermarks, and the font typography on the identity pages differed from legitimate documents.

According to Perdhana, the forged passports were allegedly manufactured in Thailand at a cost of $20,000 per document. The three suspects allegedly intended to transit through Indonesia en route to final destinations in Australia and European countries including Portugal and Italy.

Perdhana explained that Indonesia frequently serves as a transit point for foreign nationals using forged travel documents. “The motivation is mostly economic factors. They seek better living conditions,” he stated.

The Nigerian national AI arrived in Indonesia on 21 December 2025 via Garuda Indonesia from Doha, carrying a forged Burkina Faso passport. This individual was deported on 26 February 2026 and subject to an entry ban.

The Iraqi national ADA was found to be travelling with a forged Australian passport upon arrival at Soekarno-Hatta Airport and also possessed an Iraqi passport. The individual remains under further investigation.

All three suspects have been charged under Article 119(2) of Law Number 6 of 2011 concerning Immigration. The legislation stipulates that any foreign national who intentionally uses a forged or suspected forged travel document faces imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of up to Rp 500 million.