Amman - Jordanian security authorities have broken up a network involved in forging residence permits for Iraqis, the daily al-Ghad reported Tuesday.

Members of the group, led by an unidentified businessman, were arrested at the end of October and were being charged with criminal forgery and fraud, the paper quoted official sources as saying.

The investigations conducted so far indicated that at least 12 Iraqi citizens managed to obtain residence permits through forged documents, including false bank deposits, the sources said.

"Under the law, all valid residence permits should be authorised by the Interior Ministry, but members of the network managed to issue such documents without checking with the security authorities," they added.

The Jordanian authorities are concerned over the possibility of dangerous Iraqi nationals have been able to acquire residence permits through forged documents, the paper said.

Al-Qaeda-linked Iraqis carried out bombings in Amman and the Red Sea port of Aqaba in 2005 that left about 60 people killed and scores injured.

Jordan currently hosts about 500,000 Iraqis who fled their country in the wake of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. (dpa)