2 Sri Lankan men jailed 8 months in Singapore over fake Canadian passport
A 30-year-old Sri Lankan man who wanted to find work overseas tried to use a bogus Canadian passport to travel from Singapore to Melbourne.
But Pararasasingam Puveenthan was arrested at Changi Airport after immigration officers caught him trying to use his fake travel document in October last year.
Pararasasingam was on Monday (7 January) jailed for eight months after being found guilty of possessing a false passport.
His accomplice, Marimuththu Subramaniam, 48, who was also arrested at the airport, received the same jail term after being convicted of abetting the offence.
Bogus passport supplied by third party agent
In a media release on Friday (11 January), the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said Pararasasingam got hold of the fake passport through a third party agent in Sri Lanka.
The agent arranged for Pararasasingam to travel with Marimuththu from Colombo to Singapore on 28 October last year. The duo used their genuine Sri Lankan passports for the flight.
After reaching the transit area of Changi Airport, Marimuththu brought Pararasasingam to a waiting area at Terminal 1 for the latter’s onward flight to Melbourne.
At the gatehold room, however, anomalies were detected in the fake Canadian passport that Pararasasingam tried to use. ICA officers arrested him.
Marimuththu was arrested by ICA officers at the transit area of Terminal 3 while waiting for his return flight to Colombo.
ICA said it takes a serious view of those who possess a false travel document. Under the Passports Act, the crime is punishable with a fine of up to $10,000 and up to 10 years’ jail.
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