Dubai's new system will detect fake passports

Immigration officials in Dubai are working on a new system that could completely eliminate the possibility of using  fake and forged passports to enter the UAE.

The UAE, at the federal level, has already put in place a similar system for visas and the number of fake visas have since dropped dramatically.

A senior official from Dubai Immigration told Emirates 24|7 that system for checking the authenticity of visiting visa online is one of its kind in the world.

Maj General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, DNRD Director said, “Ever since we introduced the new facility, we have hardly come across people coming here with fake visas.

The online system, access to which has been provided to all major airlines operating to the country and the travel agents, will enable them to check for the authenticity of every visa, before taking the passenger on board,” he said.

“In fact, it is the airlines who will get fined, if a passenger enters the Dubai airport without proper documents,” he said.

Meanwhile, another senior official said special  officers are working on a system that could identify any attempt to tamper with passports.

“We have been working on the system, details of which will be announced made public during this year’s Gitex,” said Second Lieutenant, Amar Rashid bin Aded Almehari, Head of Technical Control Section, e-Services Sector at the UAE’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs.

“Officers are being trained and a system is being put in place whereby any attempt to tamper with travel documents, especially passports would be immediately detected.

In fact, the number of such cases has dropped significantly. We want to ensure that even the most sophisticated attempt to forge a travel document does not go undetected,” he added.

According to reports close to 700 forged passports were detected at Dubai airport during the first six months of 2010, an increase of 20 per cent compared to previous years.

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