NIA investigates suspicious loss of passports linked to forgery
2016/06/09 15:50:35
(Photo courtesy of the NIA)
Taipei, June 9 (CNA) The National Immigration Agency (NIA) sent a case of alleged illegal transactions of passports to prosecutors Wednesday, after concluding a fake passport investigation.
The NIA said it has been notified by the Bureau of Consular Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about several fake Taiwanese passports since October 2014 that have been linked to police reports of missing passports in southern Taiwan.
Users of fake Taiwanese passports modified from authentic ones have been caught in several countries, including France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Panama, Peru, Australia, Thailand and China, the NIA said.
The NIA investigation found that some of the bona fide holders to whom the authentic passports had originally been issued had reported their travel documents missing twice in a single month.
The frequency of the losses raised suspicion, and the NIA investigation pointed to human traffickers allegedly offering to purchase passports in Chiayi, Tainan and Kaohsiung for between NT$3,000 (US$93.27) and NT$5,000 each.
The NIA sent the case to the Kaohsiung Prosecutors Office after 11 suspects admitted to selling their passports, an offense punishable under the Passport Act with a maximum prison term of seven years and a fine up to NT$700,000.
The Foreign Ministry has been working closely with police and immigration authorities by passing information on fake passport cases, to protect the visa-free treatment given to Taiwanese passport holders by many countries.
The United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and European countries in the Schengen Agreement area, as well as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan's Central American allies such as Panama, allow Taiwanese passport holders visa-free entry, according to the Bureau of Consular Affairs.
(By Chiu Chun-chin and Kay Liu)
