2 Men Convicted of Exploiting Loophole to Make ‘Genuine’ UK and Latvian Passports for Fugitives

Customers included 2 murderers who were on the run

Undated images of Christopher Zietek (L) and Alan Thompson (R) who were convicted of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice at Reading Crown Court in England on March 17, 2023. National Crime Agency

Two men have been convicted of running a racket supplying fugitive drug traffickers and murderers with “genuine” passports that allowed them to pass through border control all over the world without any trouble.

Christopher Zietek, who changed his name from McCormack after marrying his Polish girlfriend, and his sidekick Alan Thompson were convicted on Friday of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, conspiracy to make a false instrument—the fraudulently-obtained genuine passports (FOGs)—and converting criminal proceedings, or money laundering, after a trial at Reading Crown Court.