30 July 2018
A 32-year-old French male who acted as a check-in facilitator for other persons was jailed for 30 months after appearing in the District Court today (July 30). The defendant pleaded guilty to two charges of conspiracy to obtain services by deception.
The court heard that a Sri Lankan male attempted to board a flight for Germany at the Hong Kong International Airport (Airport) on November 14 last year by using a French passport and a boarding pass bearing the name of the defendant but was referred to the Immigration Department for examination for the French passport was suspected to be forged. The French passport was later confirmed as a forgery after verification with the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macao. Immigration investigation was initiated against the defendant as he was identified to be the facilitator of forgery activities. Immigration investigators intercepted the defendant when he intended to depart for Thailand at the Airport on the next day, and found in his possession two boarding passes for Thailand and France. He admitted that he would receive monetary reward and free air-tickets from a middleman for procuring boarding passes and transferring the boarding passes to other travelers. He was aware that the boarding passes would be used by other persons to board flights to Europe.
The spokesman warned that under the Theft Ordinance, people who, by any deception, dishonestly obtain services from another shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable, upon conviction, to imprisonment for 10 years.