In view of the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which, among other things, exposed the fact that some passengers had boarded the doomed flight with stolen passports, Channel NewsAsia has produced a special into the underworld of passport crime, which will air on Wednesday, March 19, 8pm (Sin/HK/MNL time). Television Asia Plus interviewed Andrew Paterson, Senior Editor, English Current Affairs, Channel NewsAsia International Programmes, on the reasons for the special.

Why the decision to go with the angle on passport fraud?

Early on in the crisis, it became clear that two people on board MH370 had stolen passports. Further research revealed an under-reported situation in Asia with regards to how passports are forged, stolen and can get through border security that is not as tight as it could be. Viewers would be interested to know more about this phenomenon.

How has the information for this special been gathered?

The special was produced by the International team within Channel NewsAsia’s English Current Affairs Department. I travelled to Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket with a crew to follow the trail of the stolen passports used by the Iranians on MH370. I also interviewed Thai immigration police, a special crime investigator, and a former INTERPOL officer.

Are there any other MH370 specials coming along?

We had produced a first episode relating to MH370, broadcast on March 15. The episode tonight is a second special on this topic.

How are you managing sensitivities involved and getting access?

We explained our story and got full access to immigration authorities and the former INTERPOL officer. There were no particular sensitivities apart from the ongoing investigation into the passports used to get on board MH370. As such, local police investigating the case did not want to speak on camera. Otherwise, there were no insurmountable problems.