Seven Afghans have been removed from Tashkent-London flight on August 5 this year for having forged British passports.
The press service of the Uzbek Interior Ministry Department for Providing Security at Transport and Tourism Facilities reported on August 15 that inspection of passengers on the Tashkent-London flight at Tashkent International Airport named after Islam Karimov on August 5 revealed seven passengers with fake British passports.
There were seven nationals of Afghanistan. They reportedly purchased the forged British passport in Tajikistan.
The report does not say how and for how much the documents were purchased in Tajikistan.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail reported on July 24 this year that crooks are selling sophisticated fake British passports online for £3,500 (US$4,210).
Gangs reportedly use pictures of the Queen and Buckingham Palace on social media to advertise passports, which include ‘high quality’ bio- metric chips needed to pass UK border controls. Forgeries feature watermarks, holograms and fluorescent security features visible only under ultraviolet lights during checks at airport scanners, according to the Daily Mail.
One of the gangs involved in the scheme reportedly told a UK-based undercover Daily Mail reporter that a counterfeit British passport was being sold for $4,210 (£3,500) and a European Union passport was worth £2,000 (US$2,406).
The Daily Mail found that the main operation is based in Albania where the groups make and sell the counterfeit passports to clients all over the world.
