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The Immigration Department yesterday (August 30) arrested a Mainland resident involved in using a suspected forged Taiwanese passport, a suspected forged US visit visa and a boarding pass relating to another person. Two Taiwanese residents were also apprehended for arranging the documents.
At Hong Kong International Airport, a Taiwanese woman, 28, was monitored by immigration investigators after she arrived from Taiwan on August 28. The woman, believed to be an active facilitator of illegal immigration activities, left Hong Kong for Shenzhen the same day.
She returned to Hong Kong from the Mainland yesterday and proceeded to check in for flights to both Chicago and Taipei. After departure clearance, she handed over a small pack to a 42-year-old Taiwanese man near the boarding gate for the flight to Taipei. The man later met a female Mainland resident, 29, and something changed hands. The man then went into a restroom. Both of them subsequently proceeded to the boarding gate for the Chicago flight. A PRC passport and a boarding pass for a Guangzhou-bound flight in the name of the Mainland woman were found in the restroom by an immigration investigator.
At the boarding gate, the Mainland woman presented a boarding pass and a suspected forged Taiwanese passport with counterfeit bio-data page and US visa. All documents were in the name of the Taiwanese woman. All three people were arrested and detained for further enquiries.
"Under the laws of Hong Kong, anyone who uses a false travel document commits an offence. Offenders are liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, face a maximum penalty of a fine of $150,000 and imprisonment for 14 years," an Immigration spokesman said. "Anyone who uses a false instrument commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for 14 years. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalty for both offences." the spokesman warned.
Ends/Thursday, August 31, 2006
Issued at HKT 19:01
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