Three Iranians Imprisoned in Bulgaria for Using Fake Israeli Passports

The Sofia Globe reported the arrest and imprisonment of three Iranian citizens at the Bulgarian border on charges of using fake Israeli passports. According to this Bulgarian newspaper, which was also echoed by the Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post on Wednesday, November 7, the three Iranians were arrested while attempting to enter Bulgaria from Turkey at the 'Kapitan Andreevo' crossing. The three Iranians, aged 21, 28, and 32, were identified at this important transit point for entering Europe and were transferred to the 'Lyubimets' detention center in southeastern Bulgaria, where a 'fast legal process' is underway against them. Earlier this summer, 42-year-old Ismail Kazem Hosseini Taghi, an Iranian who arrived at Indira Gandhi Airport in New Delhi from Kathmandu to travel to Europe, was arrested for possessing a fake Israeli passport and was immediately returned to Kathmandu. He told the Himalayan Times that 'entering Europe with an Israeli passport is very easy' and had obtained the fake Israeli passport from smuggling gangs in Turkey. Multiple other cases of Iranians using fake Israeli passports have been reported in various countries over the past years, mostly in Europe and Asia. Recently, Reuters reported that Iranians, including those suspected of helping the Islamic Republic circumvent sanctions against their country, are increasingly using fake passports from countries like Comoros to travel and benefit from services such as opening bank accounts and registering shell companies. Officials from Comoros and some Western countries have expressed concern about the potential use of Comorian passports by Iranians.