On 7 January 2019, two Sri Lankan men, Pararasasingam Puveenthan, aged 30 and Marimuththu Subramaniam, aged 48, were convicted and each sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment for having in possession a false Canadian passport and abetting one to be in possession of a false travel document respectively. They were arrested by Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers when anomalies were detected in the Canadian passport produced by Pararasasingam at the gatehold room of Changi Airport Terminal 1 on 28 October 2018.

2          Investigations revealed that Pararasasingam wanted to seek employment opportunities outside of Sri Lanka. Through a third party agent, he obtained a Canadian passport bearing his photograph but with particulars that did not belong to him. The agent arranged for Pararasasingam to travel with Marimuththu to Singapore from Colombo on 28 October 2018 using their own Sri Lankan passports.            

3          After reaching the transit area of Changi Airport, Marimuththu brought Pararasasingam to a waiting area at Changi Airport Terminal 1 for the latter’s onward flight to Melbourne. At the gatehold room, anomalies were detected in the Canadian passport produced by Pararasasingam. ICA officers were then alerted and moved in to arrest Pararasasingam. Marimuththu was arrested by ICA officers at the transit area of Changi Airport Terminal 3 while waiting for his flight back to Colombo.

4          The ICA takes a serious view of persons possessing a false travel document or abetting others to be in possession of false travel documents. Under the Section 47(6) of the Passports Act, a person who knowingly has in possession a false foreign travel document shall be guilty of an offence and if convicted, may be sentenced to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or to both.

IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
11 JANUARY 2019

Photos: ICA