Four held in Thai criminal passport probe

Four people have been arrested in Thailand on suspicion of forging passports that were allegedly used by international crime networks.

The Department of Special Investigation said officials found fake and stolen passports, visa stamps and other documents for more than 40 countries during raids last Saturday.

Two Pakistani men and two Thai women were arrested on Friday during raids in Bangkok.

Officials received a tip-off about the syndicate from their Australian counterparts.

Authorities say passport theft and forgery is a critical problem in Thailand.

The issue was highlighted when two passengers on a Malaysian plane that went missing on March 8 were found to be travelling with stolen passports obtained from a Thai resort island.