Police in Britain began an investigation today into the hijack of a van delivering blank passports destined for British embassies.
Twenty-four parcels containing blank passports and vignettes - blank stickers for visa stamps - were stolen from the vehicle travelling from Oldham, Greater Manchester, to RAF Northolt near London.
A reported 3,000 documents printed at 3M Security Printing & Systems were taken early yesterday morning.
The raiders struck in Long Lane, Chadderton, near the firm's printing works in Gorse Street.
Blank passports can fetch thousands of pounds on the black market although the UI foreign office said the stolen items contained "security features" which would make them unusable.
The passports involved were the new electronic type which contain a chip replicating the data printed on the document itself.
A spokeswoman admitted it was a serious breach of security and that the Home Office and Identity and Passport Service (IPS) had taken "preventative action" to guard against forgeries.
An IPS spokesman said: "Our hi-tech security features mean that these passports are unusable.
"The police are doing everything in their power to catch the perpetrators." Such sensitive documents are usually transported in armoured vehicles, he added.
PA