Traveling With Fake Passports (Full Episode) | To Catch A Smuggler: Rome

(radio chatter) NARRATOR: Fiumicino Airport. Rome, Italy. The biggest airport in the country and one of the busiest in Europe. Security here must be ready for anything. NARRATOR: But two challenges stand out. Immigration. NARRATOR: And drug trafficking. NARRATOR: Fiumicino is a major entry point to Italy and the European Union. Making it a hotspot for those looking to enter the continent illegally. NARRATOR: Or smuggle illegal drugs. NARRATOR: 24-7 365: The flights never stop. Nor does the work of the security personnel at Rome's Fiumicino Airport. ♪ ♪ This massive hub has five terminals. The most modern, Terminal 3, hosts over 100 airlines. The Italian State Police closely monitor every passenger's entry into the country. A flight has just arrived from Lisbon, Portugal. CARRARETTO: Lisbon is a point of entry for passengers arriving from former Portuguese colonies, which are high-risk, especially Brazil. NARRATOR: The Anti-narcotics unit of the Judicial Police flags one suspicious passenger. NARRATOR: He's a Brazilian traveling from Sao Paulo. And he's carrying little in the way of luggage. CARRARETTO: During a routine passport check, we immediately flagged a suspicious person. He got nervous when we stopped him and we were not convinced by his explanation for why he was traveling to Italy. CARRARETTO: He told us the story of his wife's death. He told it in a way that was very moving. NARRATOR: It's a moving story... If true. But these officers are trained to separate their work from their emotions and remain unconvinced. MAN: Okay. NARRATOR: There seems to be nothing wrong with the suitcase. A quick body search and the passenger can be on his way. NARRATOR: Over 118,000 people move through Fiumicino Airport every day. ATC: One, two, two, one, two, five. NARRATOR: Among the multitudes, the Italian State Police must identify signs of illegal immigration. NARRATOR: And this is the task of the highly trained Border Police Investigations Unit. ORLANDI: Shortly before the flight closed, two individuals, presumably of Iranian nationality, showed up with Israeli passports. ORLANDI: They had Israeli, not Iranian passports. It was so obvious, I greeted them in Persian and they understood. ORLANDI: Both passengers seemed nervous. That made us suspicious so we stopped them. NARRATOR: The passengers claim to be father and son, and they refuse to hand over their real passports. NARRATOR: It could be an effort to conceal their true identities. ORLANDI: The documents were totally fake. NARRATOR: The next step, a biometric evaluation of the passengers' fingerprints. NARRATOR: The officers' suspicions are confirmed. NARRATOR: Through a database, the officers were able to find a Greek visa recently issued to the older passenger. He is indeed from Iran. NARRATOR: The police now focus on the alleged son. NARRATOR: With the truth out, the passengers come clean. ORLANDI: They had indeed arrived from Istanbul, but we could not find their passports. It seemed as though they had help from someone inside the airport. NARRATOR: The police will now work to uncover the counterfeiters responsible for the false passports. ORLANDI: Based on past experience, it's a family seeking a better life. We are not talking about criminals of a different kind. NARRATOR: If the alleged father and son cooperate with the authorities, they could request political asylum in Italy. But if they don't, their situation could get much worse. unit flagged a passenger arriving from Brazil after a stop-over in Portugal. NARRATOR: The search of his belongings was clean, but something seems out of place. CARRARETTO: This was not the first time. It is not unusual for men to smuggle drugs like this, in their underwear. What was unusual here is that the underwear he was wearing was designed to conceal the drugs as best as possible. Which also gave the impression that he was well-endowed, given the bulge it created around his private parts. NARRATOR: The story seems to be losing its shine, but the passenger sticks to it. He now claims he didn't know what he was carrying. NARRATOR: For the officers it's obvious that the package contains an illegal substance. The narco-test will determine exactly what it is. 10:00 am. Every hour 1,500 passengers go through security controls before boarding their flights. This is a seamless experience for most, but the slightest problem can turn into a nightmare. DICARLO: We flagged the carry-on of this couple because it contained liquids, like jars of pesto, which are not allowed in the cabin. DICARLO: We had trouble communicating because the passengers did not speak English. But I told them they had to check the bag with the liquids. decide to hold on to their local delicacies and check their bag. Their flight will be departing soon, they must hurry or they'll pay a high price for the souvenirs. NARRATOR: The clock is ticking, and tensions are starting to rise. (whistling) Now that the luggage has been checked, the couple must go through security once again. NARRATOR: Once more, one of their carry-ons has set off the alarms. DICARLO: When they came back through security, I realized the lady had not understood what I told her. NARRATOR: It better be really good pesto, because now they are close to losing their flight. NARRATOR: The judicial police detained a passenger attempting to smuggle a suspicious package in his underwear. NARRATOR: They must now test the substance to find out if it's illicit drugs. NARRATOR: All that is left is for the suspect to make the phone call he is entitled to. NARRATOR: This may be a good time to call his girlfriend. CARRARETTO: He was very emotional when speaking to the woman, but he held back the tears. Once he hung up, he started crying, which could mean that there was some truth to his story. anti-narcotics officers have completed their job. CARRARETTO: We're not insensitive to situations like this. But we must be as objective as possible, because we never know if the person is being completely truthful. Love is a powerful force. People will do anything for love. NARRATOR: The passenger is in the hands of the Italian justice system. For attempting to smuggle 120 grams of cocaine into Italy, he could face six to 20 years in prison. (woman speaking over PA) The Border Police Investigations Unit detained two Iranian passengers who claim to be father and son. They were attempting to fly to Ireland on fake passports. NARRATOR: The officers want to know who provided them with the forged documents. But they are not getting any leads. ORLANDI: The son gave us some information, but it was too vague to identify the person who helped them. NARRATOR: The case is now transferred to police headquarters to formalize the arrests. NARRATOR: But neither passenger is carrying identification. ORLANDI: They had no documents to prove that they were father and son. And there is no trace of the mother in this country. There is no indication that she is in Italy. NARRATOR: According to Italian law, the man will be placed under arrest and separated from his son. The boy will need to be transferred to a social services center for minors. By hiding their passports, they lost the opportunity to prove that they are family. CRIVELLA: Regarding the passports. In some countries, they list who the parents are, with that we could have proved that they were really father and son. If it said, “this boy is the son of this father,” we could have had some certainty. But, since their Iranian passports were missing, we couldn't prove CRIVELLA: There is 99.9% probability that they were father and son, but we need 100% certainty, we can't just assume. NARRATOR: As heartbreaking as it is, the separation is now inevitable. Security personnel flagged a Russian couple carrying liquids in their carry-on bags. NARRATOR: They checked-in one bag. Now, a second one has been flagged and their flight leaves soon, they are running out of time. DICARLO: They forgot to remove all the restricted items. This probably got them even more upset. NARRATOR: Exasperated, the man has opted for discarding the food items that keep holding them back. NARRATOR: Things continue to go wrong. NARRATOR: This back and forth has tested everyone's patience. DICARLO: We saved five jars but had to sacrifice two. NARRATOR: And it seems that the language barrier was more problematic than the pesto. NARRATOR: The couple need to rush if they want to make their flight. Once they get back home, making pasta will be a whole other story. Investigations Unit stopped two Iranian nationals attempting to fly to Dublin with fake passports. NARRATOR: The real documents couldn't be located. Officers have no proof that they're father and son. NARRATOR: Like many, they made the hard choice of leaving their country hoping to find a better life. (crying) Without proof they're family, they can't request permission from a judge to remain together in custody while their case is being decided. Instead, they will now be separated, not knowing when they will see each other again. ORLANDI: It was a very painful moment for the father. It was clear he was suffering. NARRATOR: The son will be remanded to an institution for minors. NARRATOR: If the father is set free, he will need to submit documentation that proves they are kin, so they can reunite. NARRATOR: For attempting to fly to Ireland with a fake passport, the Iranian citizen could receive a sentence of two to five years in prison. The minor will be referred to the care of the Italian State. If the man requests asylum and can prove his relationship to the boy, they could receive a five-year residency permit. NARRATOR: Fiumicino Airport in Rome connects Italy to more than 70 countries around the world making it a main gateway to Europe. This high level of traffic is complicated by the cross-border freedom guaranteed by the European Union. To keep their borders safe, the Judicial Police must make good use of all intelligence tools at their disposal. Now they focus their efforts on a passenger coming from Eastern Europe who has a suspicious travel history. CARRARETTO: The case came to us from Anti-narcotics Division headquarters. This passenger was flagged for frequent trips through the Balkans which is a hot zone for drug trafficking. NARRATOR: The suspect's flight has just arrived from Sofia, Bulgaria and officers monitor the incoming passengers. CARRARETTO: We had her photograph, so we were able to identify her among the arriving passengers. She seemed very sure of herself, even arrogant. CARRARETTO: When we began to ask her where she worked and for whom, her answers were very vague. is elusive in her answers, but the officers are well trained and will now proceed with a thorough check of her belongings. NARRATOR: The contents of the bag will determine the fate of the passenger. If the officers' suspicions are correct, she could be in serious trouble. An airport's security system must be designed to work efficiently without disrupting operations. Fiumicino is no exception. NARRATOR: To operate seamlessly, this system must be invisible. Here, cameras in duty-free shops are monitored by Italpol, a private security firm. NARRATOR: The terminals of Fiumicino cover over 400,000 square meters. The personnel from Italpol must race against the clock. thief has vanished, but the security cameras have eyes everywhere. NARRATOR: He is surrounded. NARRATOR: He can't escape. After months of surveillance, police flagged a Bulgarian passenger with a She was transferred to police headquarters for further scrutiny. NARRATOR: At first the woman was evasive, but officers quickly uncovered suspicious packages hidden inside her suitcase. CARRARETTO: The bag had a plastic lining and when we removed it, we found four packages. passenger's story seems full of contradictions. CARRARETTO: We gave her several opportunities to tell the truth, but she continued to deny knowing where the substance was concealed. Regardless of her account, a positive narcotest could put her behind bars. continues to deny the facts and her refusal to cooperate will only make the situation worse. CARRARETTO: Every time she travels to Sofia, she also visits the same two or three countries where she can obtain drugs. These are clues that make us think she's doing it willingly. NARRATOR: Her travel history and the call to her brother seem to suggest that she doesn't work alone. CARRARETTO: We cannot discard the fact that her brother may be an accomplice. If we can establish that she does not work alone, and is part of a criminal organization, these factors will be presented by the prosecutors during the trial and will help the judge decide her sentence. passenger continues to claim she's innocent. Now it's up to the Italian justice system to review the evidence and decide her fate. NARRATOR: If found guilty of attempting to smuggle 325 grams the woman could receive six to 20 years in prison. If prosecutors prove she is part of a her sentence could increase by up to seven years. Italpol personnel identified a thief at one of the airport's duty-free shops. NARRATOR: After a long and exhaustive search... NARRATOR: They've now located the alleged thief. NARRATOR: The man has no idea that he was caught on camera so he claims to be innocent. insists he took the perfume by mistake and returned it. Italpol personnel must now find out the truth. SPEZIALI: It could happen that someone tempted by a product and the ease with which they can steal it, decides to commit the crime and then regrets it immediately and returns the item. But it's very rare. NARRATOR: He rectified his error just in time and is now free to continue his travels. NARRATOR: Attempting to steal the coveted perfume was a close call for the passenger. NARRATOR: He will surely think twice in the future before making the same mistake. CASAVOLA: This is the largest airport in Italy, and we're here to guarantee the rights of every traveling passenger. CASAVOLA: As far as crime inside the airport, the numbers are extremely low compared to the large number of passengers. And law enforcement always responds quickly. CASAVOLA: We consider Fiumicino very safe. CASAVOLA: Our team is a unique unit comprised of about 800 individuals. They are all specialists who are well trained, always alert, and attuned to passenger's needs. CASAVOLA: We verify all the passengers' travel documents and, when needed, we use international databases, like those connected to Interpol and the Schengen area. This allows us to identify each passenger and confirm if they are dangerous or wanted. If there is any doubt, we take the passenger for a secondary inspection. CASAVOLA: When dealing with passengers with special situations... CASAVOLA: The first rule is to help those fleeing hunger and war, those seeking humanitarian assistance. CASAVOLA: But we are unyielding with those who seek to take advantage of people in need. Those who attempt to profit from the precarious situations of people who are victims, not criminals.