Syrian woman arrested in Costa Rica may have been headed to Spain

(MSP Photo)

November 20^th, 2015 (ICR News) A Syrian woman arrested in Costa Rica on Thursday for having entered the country with a stolen, doctored Greek passport had in her possession an airline ticket to travel to Spain, and Costa Rican authorities believe that country might have been her final destination, according to a report by CRHoy.com, citing a prosecutor.

It was originally assumed that the woman was likely trying to reach the United States.

The woman, who claims that her real name is Alaa Bustati and that she is 27 years old, though has no other documents to prove her identity, was arrested at a small San Jose hotel on Thursday.

She was reportedly wearing a wig at the time of her arrest.

The Syrian woman arrived in Costa Rica on Tuesday from Argentina and identified herself as Maria Pirri, a spokesman for the Public Security Ministry told EFE.

Costa Rican authorities confirmed that the Greek passport had been reported to be “lost” in Greece and that it had been altered with a photo of the Syrian woman.

Costa Rica is investigating whether or not the woman has any link with the case in Honduras, where two days ago five Syrian men were arrested in the Tegucigalpa airport carrying stolen Greek passports. The Costa Rican Immigration Directorate confirmed that the five men had been in Costa Rica from Nov. 11-17.

Prosecutors have requested that the woman be placed in six months of preventive detention. Meanwhile, law enforcement authorities are continuing an investigation to determine the woman’s identity and if she may have any links to international terrorism, according to information obtained by ICR News.

Syrian suspect in Paris attacks traveled through Latin American on false passport before flying to France

Meanwhile Thursday, it was revealed that a suspect in the November 13th terrorist attacks in Paris had arrived in the French capital after traveling through Latin America using a false passport.