German Manhunt for 12 Migrants Using Fake Syrian Passports Similar to Paris Attackers

A manhunt is reportedly under way in Germany targeting 12 people who used fake Syrian passports to gain entry to the country before disappearing.

German news outlets say the fake Syrian passports were most likely taken by Islamic State (IS) operatives when the terrorist group captured the Syrian city of Raqqa — now the de facto IS capital — in 2013, reports The Independent. The German tabloid, Bild, says the stolen documents were provided to migrants by the same suppliers used by two of the Paris attackers.

The manhunt is far from unique in Germany. According to one government official the country is “seeing a loss of around 30 per cent of the refugees,” although he concedes that may not be the real total, admitting: “We don’t have the exact numbers. We don’t even know if they’re still in Germany.”

The latest manhunt follows last week’s arrests in neighbouring Austria of two people “on suspicion of belonging to a terrorist organisation”. Those arrested at a refugee shelter in Salzburg were suspected of having links to the Paris attacks.

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