Two Sri Lankan men were sentenced to eight months’ jail each for offences under the Passports Act on Monday (Jan 7) in Singapore.

Pararasasingam Puveenthan, 30, and Marimuththu Subramaniam, 48, were convicted of possessing a false Canadian passport and abetting the possession of a false travel document respectively, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a statement on Friday.

The two men were nabbed by ICA officers when anomalies were detected in the Canadian passport produced by Pararasasingam at the gatehold room of Changi Airport Terminal 1 on Oct 28 last year.

Investigations revealed that Pararasasingam wanted to seek employment opportunities out of Sri Lanka.

He obtained a Canadian passport bearing his photograph but with particulars that did not belong to him through a third-party agent.

The agent arranged for the duo to fly to Singapore from Colombo using their own Sri Lankan passports on Oct 28.

Marimuththu took Pararasasingam to a waiting area at Changi Airport Terminal 1 for the latter’s onward flight to Melbourne after they reached the transit area of Changi Airport.

ICA officers moved in to arrest Pararasasingam after anomalies were detected in his Canadian passport at the gatehold room.

Marimuththu was arrested by ICA officers at the transit area of Changi Airport Terminal 3 while waiting for his flight back to Colombo.

ICA said that it takes a serious view of those who possess fraudulent travel documents or abet others in committing the offence.

Those found guilty may be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison, fined up to $10,000 or both.

Source: The Straits Times

-Agencies