Posted on 03/10/2014 4:46:55 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
How difficult is it to board a plane with a stolen passport?
Not as hard as you might think.
In any major international airport, it's not uncommon to have your passport checked four times or more between check-in and boarding the aircraft. But if passenger documents aren't checked against Interpol's database of Stolen and Lost Travel Documents, travelers using those documents can slip through layers of security.
Investigators don't yet know if the travelers with stolen passports had anything to do with the plane's disappearance. On any given day, many people travel using stolen or fake passports for reasons that have nothing to with terrorism, aviation security expert Richard Bloom told CNN.
They might be trying to immigrate illegally to another country, or they might be smuggling stolen goods, people, drugs or weapons or trying to import otherwise legal goods without paying taxes, said Bloom, director of terrorism, intelligence and security studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
"For all of those reasons, the very notion that passports might be important in this particular situation may be a red herring," Bloom said.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Just up on Drudge — “Fake passport holders Iranian Nationals.”
(I haven’[t read article yet)
Thank You ... will take a look.
Mystery fake-passport holders on flight MH370 were Iranian
The two men travelling on stolen passports on the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 that mysteriously disappeared on Saturday have been identified as Iranian nationals.
A BBC Persian report quotes an Iranian friend of one of the men, who said he hosted the pair in Kuala Lumpur after they arrived from Tehran in the days preceding their flight to Beijing.
The friend, who knew one of the men from his school days in Iran, said the men had bought the fake passports because they wanted to migrate to Europe.
The pair were travelling on passports belonging to Christian Kozel, an 30-year-old Austrian, and Luigi Maraldi, a 37-year-old Italian.
They had bought the passports in Kuala Lumpur as well as tickets to Amsterdam, via Beijing.
One of the Iranian nationals’ intended final destination was Frankfurt, where his mother lives, while the other wanted to travel to Denmark.
The same source that spoke to BBC Persian also emailed CNN with a photograph of him posing with his two friends in the days before they embarked on their fateful trip.
An editor at BBC Persian told The Telegraph that the two Iranians were “looking for a place to settle”.
College student in 1981 traveling to Pakistan!
Read earlier, in some link, where one of the persons of interest had been identified. Might mean both are now known to authorities.
Correct
Sarah - can you post on breaking news? Lots of people would like to see this BBC/Telegraph report.
last line: they “just wanted to “settle” in Europe” Haha
I would post it but would you believe all my time on this board and I still dont know how to post a thread LOL I did it a few times when I first started but I forgot how and would probably do it all wrong anyway
Someone posted it already :-)
" How difficult is it to board a plane with a stolen passport? "
"A European security official said it wasn't uncommon for passengers to board flights using stolen passports."Quoting title of thread:
"Who travels with a stolen passport?"
For starters, those two w/stolen passports on the missing Malaysian flight. . .
Same here - that’s why I asked you. Maybe No to illegals will post. Hint.
already up on main page
Its all good 2ndDivisionVet ended up posting the story
When dealing with Iran, anything is possible
I'd say it's either a very wet run or no run at all.
The travel agent said she'd been booking flights for this Mr Ali several times a month for the last three years. Also, that she initially had booked the two guys in question on Qatar Airways, but that that booking had expired before Mr Ali paid. When she went to rebook, it turned out Malaysian Airlines via Beijing was cheaper, so she took that one, the supposed objective being to get the guys to Europe the cheapest way. One would think terrorists would be more particular about what airlines they fly on.
It will be real interesting to Mr Ali's story, whether he knew the guys were using stolen passports, etc.
Also, the five people who booked their flights but never got on board, what do they have to do with all this
Supposedly, their luggage was pulled when they didn't show before the flight departed.
That is because credit cards are managed by the private sector.
One of the five has said that he canceled because business called and had him go elsewhere.
Qatar is a hated US Friend. It makes sense that Mr. ali would book two tickets to Paradise on Qatar airlines.
Four on the same plane is pushing the odds.
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