An investigation into fake passports was handed to prosecutors last week, the National Immigration Agency (NIA) said.
The Bureau of Consular Affairs has been notified about several fake Taiwanese passports since October 2014 that have been linked to police reports of missing passports in southern Taiwan, the agency said.
Users of fake Taiwanese passports, modified from authentic ones, have been caught in several countries, including France, Spain, Britain, Panama, Peru, Australia, Thailand and China, the agency added.
The agency’s investigation found that some people with authentic passports had reported their travel documents missing twice in a single month.
The frequency of the losses raised suspicion, and the investigation pointed to human traffickers allegedly offering to purchase passports in Chiayi, Tainan and Kaohsiung for between NT$3,000 and NT$5,000 each.
The agency sent the case to the Kaohsiung Prosecutors’ Office after 11 suspects admitted to having sold their passports, an offense punishable under the Passport Act (護照條例施行細則) with a maximum prison term of seven years and a fine of up to NT$700,000.
The ministry has been working closely with police and immigration authorities by passing information on fake passport cases to protect the visa-free treatment given to Taiwanese passport holders by many countries.
The US, UK, Ireland and European countries in the Schengen Agreement area, as well as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan’s Central American allies, including Panama, allow Taiwanese passport holders visa-free entry, the Bureau of Consular Affairs said.
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