10 May 2013
A Malaysian courier and three Mainlanders involved in using forged Malaysian passports for an intended trip to Brazil were jailed by the District Court today (May 10).
The 34-year-old Malaysian courier, pleaded guilty earlier to one count of conspiracy to obtain services by deception. He was sentenced to jail for 24 months today.
The three Mainlanders, aged from 18 to 21, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to obtain services by deception. Two of them had previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced to jail for 21 months and 20 months respectively, whereas the third was convicted following trial and sentenced to 30 months in jail. All three were sentenced today.
The case revealed that the four defendants were refused permission to land by the Dubai authorities and were deported to Hong Kong in October, 2012. They were arrested on suspicion of conspiring with a middleman to use forged Malaysian travel documents and dishonestly obtain air travel services from an airline.
Under caution, the three Mainlanders admitted that they had initially been helped by a middleman to use their Chinese passports to depart Hong Kong for Dubai. In Dubai they then switched to using the forged Malaysian passports provided by the middleman, with the intention of taking a flight to Brazil, but were refused permission to board by the airline. Under caution the courier admitted that he was paid by the middleman to accompany the three Mainlanders in order assist them in using the forged Malaysian passports for the connecting flight to Brazil.
Under the Immigration Ordinance, it is an offence to possess a forged travel document. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction to a maximum fine of HK$150,000 and imprisonment for 14 years. Those aiding and abetting such crimes are liable to the same penalty.
"Under the Theft Ordinance, people who by any deception dishonestly obtain services from another shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable, upon conviction, to imprisonment for up to 10 years," an Immigration Department spokesman said.