Two detained in passport scam

Two detained in passport scam

JAKARTA (JP): Immigration officials have detained two
Pakistanis who tried to use black market Canadian passports to
leave the country.

Immigration director for supervision and control Zaiman
Nurmatias said yesterday Muhammad Shahid Rathore, 25, and Sajjad
Ahmad Khanpur, 26, were arrested at the Soekarno-Hatta
International Airport after officials became suspicious about the
passports.

"Muhammad and Shahid held Canadian passports, bearing the
numbers VN 504183 and VB 587465 respectively, and were on their
way to join their friends living in Canada," Zaiman said.

During questioning, the two acknowledged they also bore
Pakistani passports C 14763 issued in Rawalpindi and B 777875
issued in Peshawar, Zaiman said.

They used the Pakistani documents to enter Jakarta via
Singapore on May 27.

The men were about to board a flight to Hong Kong when
officials noted discrepancies in the passports, Zaiman said. They
confessed to buying their Canadian passports and plane tickets
for US$17,000, he added.

The arrests were just the latest in a spate involving
foreigners. Zaiman said immigration officials barred entry to 59
foreign nations in May for reasons ranging from insufficient
funds to their inclusion on the official blacklist. (hhr)