A Congolese man has been arrested on charges of identity fraud after he was caught using a fake passport to withdraw money, Phnom Penh immigration police chief Lour Rabo said yesterday.

Kanzi Francis Olivier, 38, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Monday was caught using a fake Belgian passport to withdraw thousands of dollars in cash from a Canadia Bank branch in Tuol Kork district.

He was later found to be in possession of three passports. Rabo said the suspect had withdrawn $48,000 on March 17, and staff at the bank became suspicious when he returned four days later to withdraw more.

According to Kuy Phalla of the Mittapheap commune police, the suspect panicked when bank staff raised concerns about his passport and referred him to the head office.

Phalla said the suspect ran from the office, jumped in a car and attempted to flee the scene. “Because he was so suspicious and ran away, we tried to catch him.

We discovered he owns three passports with the same photos,” Phalla said. Rabo said the suspect had been sent to municipal court.