Estimated 20 million lost or stolen passports circulating the world
Source: Moises Naim, Illicit: How Smugglers, Traffickers, and Copycats are hijacking the global economy, (New York: Doubleday, 2005), pg. 101.
Interpol maintains database of 14 milion lost or stolen identy documents
In a database maintained by Interpol, 14 million lost or stolen identity documents are listed.
Source: Caroline Brothers, “Iraqis turn to gangs to flee for safety,” International Herald Tribune, July 26, 2007,(accessed: July 31, 2007).
Fake IDs included in human smuggling fee
Fake IDs are often including in the smuggling fees for undocumented immigrants who are smuggled from Mexico.While in the United States, undocumented immigrants are able to purchase identifications from flea markets and other vendors for $75 to $300. Papers available for purchase include Social Security cards, Driver Licenses, and Green Cards.
Source: David Montgomery, “ID forgery [...]
$10,000 to $25,000 to purchase a fake passport in China
The human smuggling industry in China charges people between $10,000 to $25,000 to purchase a fraudulent passport, and between $3,000 to $5,000 to alter the photo of a passport.
Source: National Institute of Justice, “Characteristics of Chinese Human Smugglers,” Research in Brief, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, August 2004, pg.7, [...]
Create a passport in Thailand for $245
In Thailand, a basic counterfeit passport is able to be created in 2 hours for $245. For a higher quality counterfeit passport, the price rises to $1,000 to $1,250.
Source: AP, “Thailand still king for counterfeiting,” Taipei Times, October 5, 2005, (last accessed: May 1, 2006).
