Keeping track of lost M’sian passports to prevent abuse
BEIJING: Every hour, an average of nine Malaysian passports are reported lost in the world.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said 52,459 passports were lost in the first eight months of this year.
The particulars of these passports, he said, are updated in Interpol’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database daily to prevent abuse.
The database, which also contains information related to vehicle theft, stolen art and firearms cases, was shared by all member states of the organisation, he added.
“Currently, the Interpol SLTD database in Lyon, France, has a record of 76 million lost passports worldwide, out of which, 192,402 (0.25%) are Malaysian passports.
“All eight international airports in Malaysia have been equipped with the SLTD system, which can also be
accessed at other points of
entry, including sea ports,” he said after attending the opening ceremony of the 86th General Assembly of Interpol here yesterday.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun, who was also present, said these passports were lost either due to negligence or stolen.
A Malaysian passport, he said, could easily be sold for RM100,000 in the black market.
On Interpol, Dr Ahmad Zahid said Malaysian police had cooperated with the world body in areas of social media exploitation, forensics and cybercrime investigations.
“We share information, particularly on issues related to terrorism (via the Interpol’s real-time tracking system),” he said.
During his three-day working visit, which ends today, Dr Ahmad Zahid also met Chinese Public Security Minister Guo Shengkun and Secretary of Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission Meng Jianzhu.