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A British courier was jailed by the District Court yesterday (April 22) for possessing forged British passports, false French passports and false Hong Kong Immigration arrival stamp impressions.
The 44-year-old male defendant, Rose John Alexander Porter, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of two forged travel documents, one count of possession of a false travel document and one count of possession of four false instruments. He was jailed for two years and four months.
In January, Porter was intercepted by an Airport Customs & Excise officer after immigration arrival clearance. Upon searching a handbag carried by Porter, two British and two French suspected forged passports were found. Three of them bore Porter's photo yet other people's particulars. Immigration investigators then took over the case for further investigation.
Upon checking, a total of 13 suspected forged Hong Kong Immigration stamp impressions were found in the four suspected forged passports.
Forensic examination revealed that the two British passports and the 13 questionable Hong Kong Immigration stamp impressions were forgeries.
Porter admitted that he was entrusted by a middleman to deliver the four passports to another middleman in Hong Kong for a reward of US$500.
Under the laws of Hong Kong, any person who has in his possession any forged or false travel document commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a maximum penalty of a fine of $150,000 and 14 years' imprisonment. Also, anyone who has in his custody a false instrument commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for 14 years.
Ends/Thursday, April 23, 2009
Issued at HKT 18:31
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