Are our Borders Secure?

[kwicky]

How did John Darwin, the canoeist, manage to get to Panama and then return as recently as last year? He was officially declared dead but was still able to use his passport. It reminds me of the 'Day of the Jackal' where a someone assumed the identity of a dead person. Is it any wonder our borders are so porous. How could this be improved?

[Gromit]

It has not yet been ascertained how he got to Panama (and back). But there was clearly a breach which could be exploited by others with a more sinister intent.

Other questions also arise. If he was supposed to be dead and no longer officially existed...

What did he live on?
How did he pay for anything?
Did he work and how was he employed?

It also has emerged that Mrs Darwin, sold two houses worth �455,000 and left the UK for Panama six weeks ago, has cashed in his life insurance policy. Her new home in the Los Angeles district of Panama City cost �38,000. Panama is Tax Free.

[ludwig]

It's a real pity he's got no recollection of anything that happened in the last five years, otherwise he'd be able to tell us how he did it.

[Reverandfunk]

Could he have had a false passport?

[Reverandfunk]

A possibly a stash of money?

Burger me you dont need to have a lot of money to disappear.

Could he possibly of got a job during this time?

[jake-the-peg]

Well if I were doing it I'd just take the ferry to Ireland - no passport required and simply use my passport for a flight out from there.

[honest_joe]

Looking for the obvious it seems that when he was declared dead his records were not wiped clean. This is such a bad flaw you would have thought it would have been fixed by now. Wasn't the same method used by unscrupulous crooks in getting the NI numbers of dead people and then finding they far exceeded the population of the country by many millions.

[Reverandfunk]

For i imagine a failrly small amount of money one could obtain a false driving licence, passport and NI number.

I think people are just thick when they say ooohhhh how did he live, how did he leave the country. u aint got to be columbo to work it out lol

[kwicky]

I would have thought that when asking for a death certificate the next of kin should be made to hand in these documents including a passport.

[jake-the-peg]

I'd have thought so too - but then if the next of kin say they don't know of the whereabouts of them what are you going to do? Send a team to search the widow's house?

[Kim A]

Apparantly, it's up to the deceased person's next of kin to inform the Passport Office about a death. If they don't, the passport Office have no way of finding out - therefore, your passport remains valid and, unless you are one of those on a passport office 'watch list', no-one would be looking out for you leaving the country - I only repeat what I read this morning in the Telegraph, so don't all jump on me at once if it's not true!

It seems like another one of those 'non-joined up government department' thangs.

[fredpuli47]

Just imagine the immigration oficer saying "You are dead so you can't come back in!" The system isn't set up for the walking dead. As long as the passport itself is genuine, the person presenting it matches the details on it and is not on a wanted list they'll be allowed in and out.This man was carrying a genuine passport, was the holder, and nobody puts dead people on wanted lists.

[kwicky]

Good point fredpuli and the problem of identity theft used by others has long been with us and although a visual verification by passport control may meet most needs it is not foolproof. The case points to more computerised controls and cross checking of databases is the only answer for joined up thinking as suggested by Kim. Whether the new computerised passports solve this problem I don't know.

[kwicky]

Why did John Darwin go to the police station and say he had a memory lapse when he could have quite happily carried on with his facade without anyone being any the wiser? Would he be denied exit from the UK this time and unable to get to Panama? Did his wife suspect investigations were being carried out, which they were, and needed some excuse to prove he was still alive?

[jno]

fake passport (allegedly)

[Laura Loo]

I overheard in the pub that him and her had a row..and when he asked for his share of his life insurance payment she told him 2no way" no he came home and went to the police in order to get his own back on her.

Don't know if this is true like i say just overheard it!

[fletcher.5]

very interesting theries about DARWIN & his sea travels?

[4GS]

He had a false passport in his wife's maiden name apparently

[anotheoldgit]

In answer to your question,everyone should know by now that they are not, and never have been since WW2.

[jake-the-peg]

And they weren't secure before WW2 either

But then this is a country not a fortress - yet

[kwicky]

Maybe John Darwin's link as a prison officer enabled him to find contacts with passport forgers. Although his wife said he applied for it using her maiden name. It gets worse!