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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1979
SUCCESS IN CLAMPING DOWN ON TRAVEL DOCUMENT FORGERY ACTIVITIES
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THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT'S SUCCESS IN CLAMPING DOWN ON TRAVEL DOCUMENT FORGERY ACTIVITIES IS REFLECTED BY THE ARRAY OF FORGERY EQUIPMENT SEIZED AND NOW ON DISPLAY IN THE STRONG ROOM OF ITS INVESTIGATION DIVISION.
THE EQUIPMENT, WHICH ONCE MEANT MILLIONS OF DOLLAR TO RACKETEERS BEFORE THEY WERE CAUGHT AND PUT BEHIND BARS, INCLUDE VARIOUS KINDS OF IMPLEMENTS, SEALS AND PRINTING BLOCKS USED TO FORGE PASSPORTS OF MANY COUNTRIES AS WELL AS HONG KONG'S CERTIFICATES OF IDENTITY AND RE-ENTRY PERMITS.
ALSO ON DISPLAY IS A VARIETY OF FORGED TRAVEL DOCUMENTS ONCE USED BY PEOPLE WHO TRIED TO GET INTO OR OUT OF HONG KONG.
THE STRONG ROOM ALSO SERVES AS A TEACHING SCHOOL FOR ALL IMMIGRATION OFFICERS, PARTICULARLY NEW RECRUITS, TO FAMILARISE THEMSELVES WITH VARIOUS TYPES OF FORGED TRAVEL DOCUMENTS.
IT IS ALSO VISITED BY OVERSEAS IMMIGRATION AGENTS AS WELL AS LOCAL POLICE OFFICERS ENGAGED IN COMMERCIAL CRIME INVESTIGATION.
+MANY OF THESE FORGED DOCUMENTS WERE PRODUCED BY SUBSTITUTING THE PHOTOGRAPH IN AN AUTHENTIC DOCUMENT ISSUED BY IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES AND ENDORSING THE PHOTOGRAPH WITH FAKE SEAL MARKS,+ THE HEAD OF THE DIVISION, MR. DAVID MILLS SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).
+SOME OF THESE PAPERS HAVE THE PARTICULARS CHANGED TO ANSWER THE DESCRIPTION OF THE HOLDER BY REPLACING A FEW PAGES. THE MOST DARING KIND IS THE SO CALLED 'HOME-MADE' PASSPORT WHICH IS A COMPLETE FAKE DOCUMENT, HE SAID.
MR. MILLS NOTED THAT THE COST OF OBTAINING A FORGED TRAVEL DOCUMENT RANGED FROM A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS TO $20,000 DEPENDING ON BARGAINING BETWEEN THE RACKETEER AND THE PROSPECTIVE BUYER.
+SOME OF THESE FAKE DOCUMENTS ARE WELL MADE AND VERY CLOSE TO THE GENUINE ONES BUT CAN HARDLY ESCAPE THE SHARP EYES OF OUR TRAINED IMMIGRATION OFFICERS, MR. MILLS SAID.
APART FROM FORGED DOCUMENTS SEIZED AT IMMIGRATION CONTROL POINTS, OFFICERS OF THE INVESTIGATION DIVISION ALSO CARRIED OUT RAIDS ON FORGERY RINGS.
THE BIGGEST SEIZURE WAS MADE IN 1976 IN WHICH ABOUT 4,000 SETS OF FAKE TRAVEL DOCUMENTS WERE DISCOVERED.
THE SECOND BIGGEST HAUL WAS MADE IN JULY 1977 IN WHICH OVER 300 FORGED RE-ENTRY PERMITS WERE SEIZED. THREE WOMEN AND A 15-YEAR-OLD BOY WERE ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE SEIZURE.
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