Dubai International Airport (DXB) intercepted more than 350 incoming passengers with fake passports between January and March this year, according to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai.
According to a Khaleej Times report, the GDRFA reported that 366 individuals were caught using forged passports in the first quarter of 2024, marking a slight increase from the 355 detected during the same period last year. In the previous year, a total of 16,127 documents were examined, out of which 1,232 were identified as forgeries. Additionally, 443 cases were forwarded to public prosecution for further action.
Speaking at Dubai Airport’s Terminal 1, Aqil Ahmad Alnajjar, a consultant at the Document Examination Centre, emphasized the efficiency of the GDRFA’s system in catching fraudsters attempting to enter the emirate with illegal passports. He highlighted that every counter at Dubai Airports Passport Control is equipped with an advanced machine known as Retro Check. This technology serves as an effective firewall, enabling immigration officers to scrutinize and detect fake passports.
Upon suspicion, a passport control officer sends the dubious passport to the Document Examination Centre for further verification, ensuring thorough checks and preventing the entry of individuals using forged documents.