British warning: Watch your passports

Amidst forged passport scandal, Britain updates Israel travel advisory; 'We recommend that you only hand your passport over to third parties including Israeli officials when absolutely necessary; Foreign Office says

Watch your passports in Israel: Britain's Foreign Office updated its Israel travel advisory Tuesday, warning British citizens that their passports may be misused, as was the case in the assassination of Hamas man Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai.

"Your passport details could be captured for improper uses while your passport is out of your control. The risk applies in particular to passports without biometric security features," the Foreign Office's online advisory warns. "We recommend that you only hand your passport over to third parties including Israeli officials when absolutely necessary."

The warning informs British citizens of "a recent Serious Organized Crime Agency investigation into the misuse of UK passports" in connection with al-Mabhouh's assassination in January.

"The SOCA investigation found circumstantial evidence of Israeli involvement in the fraudulent use of British passports," the Foreign Office says.