The National Security Secretariat (NSS) has started investigations into the modus operandi of a fake Ghanaian passport-producing syndicate.
It follows the arrest and deportation of a considerable number of Ghanaians travelling abroad bearing fake Ghanaian Diplomatic and Service passports.
February and March, 2021, witnessed massive use of the two Ghana passport types, with the Service Passport being the most abused.
Credible information gathered by DAILY GUIDE indicates that on two separate occasions in February, some Ghanaians were arrested whiles travelling with forged Ghana Service Passports outside the country.
The first was on February 8, 2021 where six (6) Ghanaians were intercepted at Dubai Airport whiles transiting to Germany on forged Ghana Service Passports.
Later, investigations conducted by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) revealed that, the six passports were all forged.
The six persons involved mentioned one Mr. Armah as the facilitator for the acquisition of the passports.
On February 23, 2021, three other Ghanaians were again intercepted in Istanbul, Turkey, for attempting to transit to Germany.
It was revealed again that, the said Service Passports were forged.
On March 19, seven other Ghanaians were also denied entry into Budapest, Hungary, over a cancelled workshop on “New Techniques in Radiology.”
Investigations conducted revealed that, the Ghana Service Passports they used were forged specimen passports.
A group of 40 Ghanaians were again intercepted on March 21, 2021 in Dubai for an attempted transit to Germany via Emirates Airline using Ghana Service Passports.
Some Ghanaians travelled to Kenya with similar forged passports.
Ghana Immigration Service report indicated that all the intercepted passengers travelled from the Kotoka International Airport on their ordinary Ghanaian passports but upon arrival brandished forged Ghana Service Passports.
It has also been established that commercial motor riders are the ones who deliver these fraudulent documents to prospective travellers at the KIA in Accra.
One Alhaji has also been identified as a liaison between travellers from Kotoka to their supposed destinations whiles an alleged mobile phone number 0241645070 with the name FN Enterprise is the means used in most payment of these fraudulent documents.
Acting Director of Passports, Louis Obeng, has told DAILY GUIDE that the National Security has taken up the issue and has commenced a full-scale investigation into the matter.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu