Various regional dailies, 6 June 2012: 'More fake passports intercepted at Schiphol'

“1137 fake passports and other documents were intercepted at Schiphol last year. That is 29 per cent more than in 2010. However, the number of fake Dutch documents dropped to 118.

Most fake papers came from Greece: mostly Afghans from Athens. Also many fake passports from Lithuania, Belgium, Latvia and Costa Rica. For these fraud cases, 815 suspects were arrested, which is an increase of 23 per cent. Nigerians are no longer the most arrested passengers, but Afghans and Iranians. Most persons tried to enter the Netherlands, but as Schiphol is a major transfer airport, many suspects were also on their way to other countries. The most popular destination turned out to be Toronto (Canada).

The suspects fell through because in most cases the passport was simply fake. In second place were passports where the page containing the personal details had been replaced. Suspects travelling on someone else's passport ranked third. This last category, the look-alike, decreased did. When looking only at Dutch passports and identity cards, 19 were found to be look-alikes to have been caught.

"That number has fallen sharply in recent years from 46 in 2008 to just 19 now. That set against a population of almost 17 million Dutch people, is very small. Enough reason to immediately stop the disproportionate measure of introducing fingerprints in passports and identity cards," Privacy First believes. This organisation has been fighting for years against the central registration of fingerprints because police and justice might then misuse that data. The organisation still has an appeal pending at the Court of Appeal in The Hague on this matter."

Source: Gooi- en Eemlander, Haarlems Dagblad, IJmuider Courant, Leidsch Dagblad & Noordhollands Dagblad 6 June 2012.
Primary source: Privacy First press releases 20 March & 29 May 2012, Revealing figures on 'look-alike' fraud with Dutch travel documents (click HERE).