XN000022-1991-01-16 — Page 12

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1991

FORGERY TRAVEL DOCUMENT RACKET SMASHED

IMMIGRATION AND POLICE AUTHORITIES HAVE SUCCESSFULLY SMASHED A SYNDICATE BELIEVED TO BE ENGAGED IN FORGED TRAVIL DOCUMENT PRODUCTION AFTER A TERRITORY-WIDE RAIDS IN THE PAST TWO DAYS RESULTING IN THE ARREST OF 19 PERSONS, SOME SUSPECTED TO BE ITS MASTERMINDS AND KEY MEMBERS.

DURING THE OPERATION, INVESTIGATORS SEARCHED 28 LOCATIONS, INCLUDING ONE BELIEVED TO BE THE SYNDICATE'S COUNTERFEIT TRAVEL DOCUMENT PRODUCTION HOUSE AT TAI NAM STREET. OF THE ARRESTED PERSONS, FIVE WERK ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA.

THE OPERATION WAS JOINTLY CONDUCTED BY IMMIGRATION AND POLICE'S ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION INTELLIGENCE BUREAU'S OFFICERS.

SPEAKING AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TO ANNOUNCE DETAILS OF THE JOINT OPERATION THIS (WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON, THE HEAD OF THE INVESTIGATION DIVISION OF THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT, MR TANG CHIU SHING,

SAID THE SYNDICATE HAD BEEN PUT UNDER THEIR SURVEILLANCE FOR THREE MONTHS BEFORE THEY DECIDED TO LAUNCH AN OVERT OPERATION, COMMENCING AT 2230 HOURS ON MONDAY (JANUARY 14) ΤΟ NET SUSPECTED SYNDICATE MASTERMINDS AND MEMBERS.

MR TANG SAID MORR THAN 600 EXHIBITS, INCLUDING COMPLETE COUNTERFEIT MACHINE-READABLE HONG KONG BRITISH PASSPORTS, PASSPORT INSIDE PAGES, PASSPORT COVERS, SUSPECTED PHOTO-SUBSTITUTED HONG KONG IDENTITY CARDS, EQUIPMENTS AND SEALS BELIEVED TO BE USED FOR FORGING TRAVEL DOCUMENTS, WERE SEIZED.

HE SAID THE JOINT OPERATION WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL WHICH QUASH THE PRODUCTION OF FORGED MACHINE-READABLE HONG KONG PASSPORTS RIGHT AT THE OUTSET.

ΤΟ

MANAGED BRITISH

"THIS IS THE FIRST OCCASION WHERE WE MANAGED TO STRIKE DIRECT AT THE FACTORY WHERE THE FORGERIES WERE MADE.

SYNDICATE,

"WE HAVE ALSO ARRESTED SUSPECTED KEY MEMBERS OF THE TWO OF THEM WERE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA, MR TANG SAID.

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MR TANG BELIEVED THAT THE SYNDICATE 18 RESPONSIBLE PROVIDING FORGED DOCUMENTS TO NATIONALS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC CHINA (PRC) WHO WANTED TO SEEK ILLEGAL ENTRY TO COUNTRIES ABROAD.

POR OF

THE SYNDICATE WAS ALSO SUSPECTED TO BE SUPPLYING FORGED HONG KONG IDENTITY CARDS TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM PRC.

"THE SYNDICATE IS BELIEVED TO BE SUPPLYING A FULL SET OF FORGED DOCUMENTS ΤΟ THEIR CLIENTS AT A PRICE OF BETWEEN HK$130,000 AND $150,000. THE WHOLESALE PRICE FOR A FORGED HONG KONG IDENTITY CARD AROUND HK$40,000 WHILE THE PRICE FOR A COUNTERFEIT PASSPORT 19 AROUND HK$5,000," MR TANG ADDED.

/HE SAID