Swede arrested for carrying forged passports

 

By Ihsan Aziz

 

Azzaman, January 29, 2007

 

Kurdish police have arrested a Swedish citizen allegedly involved in human trafficking.

 

The man, whom the police refused to identify, was seized at a checkpoint close to the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

 

The police say the Swedish citizen of Iraqi origin was carrying 15 fake passports.

 

“The man was found to be carrying eight Belgium passports and seven Iraqi ones. All of them were found to be forged,” said Major Kaka Rashhama.

 

Rashhama said the man intended to use the passports for human trafficking which has increased recently due to Iraq’s violent conditions.

 

Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have fled the country or have been forced to move to the relatively quiet Kurdish north.

 

Many Iraqis are keen to resettle in a European country and some are said to be ready to pay up to $15,000 to smugglers to accomplish their dream.

 

Rashhama said the man will remain in custody and will be tried according to the Iraqi penal code.