Refugees jailed for huge passport conspiracy

Two refugees who took part in a huge passport forgery operation run out of a suburban unit have been jailed.

Fahad Jaber Ajeil, 29, from Iraq, and Riyad Hamied Sultan, 30, from Kuwait, were sentenced to five years and two years respectively when they appeared in the Auckland District Court.

Crown prosecutor Mina Wharepouri said the scale of the operation had never before been seen in New Zealand.

When police raided Ajeil's unit in Avondale they found both men and more than 200 Photoshop documents relating to passports, travel documents and other documents relating to 17 countries. The countries included Australia, the United States, Bolivia, Yemen and Liberia.

Mr Wharepouri said the reason for the documents had never been established and there was no evidence that they were prepared for terrorism, people-smuggling or any offending in New Zealand or any other country.

The final aggravating feature was that the offending by both men was for financial gain and involved people in difficult positions. It smacked of exploiting the exploited.

Mention of a third man, who was named in a charge of conspiracy to commit forgery, was made again yesterday after being discussed at the pair's September trial.

Ajeil's defence lawyer, Anthony Rogers, described the man, Dr Salam Abu-Shaaban, as a possible Kuwaiti Cabinet minister. 

It is understood the police would like to speak to him should he come to New Zealand.

Judge Nicola Mathers referred to Dr Abu-Shaaban, saying that a police officer giving evidence in the men's trial had wanted to talk to him, but was not allowed.

Yesterday Mr Rogers said his defence team was seeking transcripts of interviews of Dr Abu-Shaaban by Kuwaiti authorities.

Ajeil was found guilty of 14 counts of passport forgery including possession of implements for forgery and conspiracy to commit forgery. He was acquitted of five charges.

Sultan, jointly charged with Ajeil, was acquitted of all charges except the conspiracy count.

Mr Rogers said Ajeil had a Mercedes car in New York and an apartment in Paris but there was no evidence he and his wife had a lavish lifestyle in Auckland. Sultan's lawyer, David Niven, said there was nothing to suggest a high or ongoing level of involvement in the operation by his client.

Neither man had any previous convictions and both were legally resident in New Zealand.

Judge Mathers said breaches of border security and interfering with the passport system had to be viewed seriously, but the offending was not at the top of the scale.

She declined leave for Sultan to apply for home detention.