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A Hong Kong resident and two Mainlanders were jailed by the District Court today (February 23) for conspiracy to possess forged Malaysian and Japanese passports, an Immigration spokesman said.
The courier, Yim Kim Ping, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to possess false instruments. He was jailed for three years on each charge, the sentences to run concurrently.
Mainlanders Zheng Changfeng and Chen Jianbing were each charged with one count of conspiracy to possess false instruments. They pleaded guilty and were jailed for 20 months.
Last August, the three defendants were stopped by Immigration investigators near the boarding gate for a flight to Amsterdam. Two Japanese Passports and two Malaysian Passports were found in Yimˇ¦s handbag. The four passports were later examined and found to be forged. The forged passports bore the photos of the two Mainlanders.
Under the laws of Hong Kong, anyone who has in his custody a false instrument commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for 14 years.
Ends/Monday, February 23, 2009
Issued at HKT 20:27
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