DAMMAM, 14 May 2007 — The Passport Department in the Eastern Province has arrested a Somali national in possession of a number of high-quality fake residence permits. The man, who is considered to be one of the most professional forgers in the region, is a close associate of another notorious forger called “the Emperor,” who was arrested last month.
Col. Yousuf Al-Assaf, head of the Passport Patrol Unit, said, “The forger was employed in the distribution department of a local newspaper in the Eastern Province. Following the arrest of the man called the Emperor, we learned that there was a Somali national residing in the Al-Thuqbah district of Alkhobar, who was also a professional forger.”
Al-Assaf added that following the lead they monitored the man, who would frequently change locations to avoid suspicion. “We arrested him with a number of forged residence permits, stamps and counterfeit apparatus, in addition to several maid licenses and residence permits for a number of Indonesian nationals, who ran away from their sponsors,” said the Passport Department official.
On arrest, the man admitted that he used to buy residence permits from runaway maids for SR300 and resell them for a much higher price after altering the details for prospective customers, Al-Assaf said, adding that the Somali national had also obtained a valid residence permit carrying his picture but in the name of a different person, who had not even known that his residence permit had been duplicated.
“He was also known to produce fake marriage certificates and would give money to one of his legitimately residing friends, who would legally transfer the money to Somalia,” said Al-Assaf.
The Passport Department also arrested a number of overstayers who were housed at the man’s home while waiting for their illegal residence permits.
