Thai police have arrested a man they allege has been distributing fake passports internationally, with claims the fake documents have been used by people - including criminal and terror groups - to travel to Australia and Europe.

Immigration police and Armed Forces security investigators have been tracking a man known as 'the Doctor' for several years, who they've suspected is the head of a major syndicate forging fake travel documents in Thailand.

Officials suspect they have finally found the culprit and took Iranian man Hamid Reza Jafary into custody, according to the Bangkok Post.

'The Doctor' is wanted by security officials in countries including Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Britain and France.

Thai police have arrested a man they allege has been distributing fake passports internationally (stock photo above), with claims the fake documents have been used to travel to Australia

After Flight MH370 disappeared it emerged two of the passengers were travelling on fake passports which are understood to have originated from Pattaya in Thailand in 2014.

Five other men, all from Pakistan, have also been taken into custody with police alleging they were involved in the operation, working alongside Jafary.

The Bangkok Post has identified these men as Cheeman Ahsan Javed, Amer Buit, Rahim Khan Pathan, Gohar Zaman and Muhammad Tariq.

After Flight MH370 disappeared it emerged two of the passengers were travelling on fake passports which are understood to have originated from Pattaya in Thailand in 2014

On Monday investigators raided a house in Chachoengsao in central Thailand and seized 173 fake passports and passport making equipment believed to have been procured from China; including stamping machines, screen-printing devices, and engraving machinery and paper.

Thai police allege Jafary, 48, was found carrying a Brazilian passport, identifying him as Eliseu Moraes, according to The Age.

Immigration Bureau commissioner Nathathorn Prousoontorn says Jafary has been living in Thailand for 25 years and selling fake travel documents for $2000 to $3200.

Mr Prousoontorn claims Jafary admitted to selling the documents to human trafficking rings in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.