Last night 7NEWS broke the story of the three Chinese nationals who were busted at the Phillip Goldson International Airport with forged Belizean passports on Saturday morning. The men arrived on Saturday morning on a Taca flight which originated in Panama. Today all three appeared before a Magistrate where each was formally charged for possession of a false document and uttering upon a false document. How did three men who've never really lived in Belize get Belizean passports? Well there are more questions than answers tonight. Commander of the Criminal Investigations Branch, Superintendent Chester Williams, says that on Saturday his office acted on a tip from Immigration Director Carmen Zetina.
Keith Swift Reporting,
On Saturday these three Chinese men arrived at the Phillip Goldson International Airport holding these three Belizean passports. They look like the real thing but the immigration department says they are all forgeries and on Saturday police were waiting at the airport for the trio's arrival.
Supt. Chester Williams,
"On Saturday we received information from the Director of Immigration and Nationality that there were three Chinese nationals who were supposed to arrive at the PGIA onboard the 9:45 Taca which was coming from Salvador. As a result of that information we received, we went to the International Airport where we saw the Taca landed and the three Chinese nationals came off the plane and they went inside the airport arrival area. They later approached the immigration officers who were working then and produced their passports, which were Belizean passports. The passports were checked by the immigration officers and the signatures inside the passport were not compatible to that of any past director of immigration or the current Director of Immigration's signature."
This is the signature Supt. Williams is talking about. It is supposed to be signed by the Director of Immigration but this doesn't match the signature of the present or any past immigration director. The men are identified as Wu Pan, Huimin Jiang, and Dong Fang Ouyang. Wu Pan lists his occupation as a businessman
and he got his passport is dated in May of 2004. Dong Fang Ouyang is listed as a cook and his passport is dated August 2004. Hiumin Jiang is also a cook and his passport is dated July of 2004.
Supt. Williams says these passports date back to as early as 1999 and it took some work and expertise to make them look genuine.
Supt. Chester Williams,
"We have made checks at the Immigration Office in Belmopan and we have confirmed that the passports are genuine Belizean passports but information data inside the passport was not placed there by immigration personnel which means that the passports may have been stolen from the immigration office and were not reported and it got in the hands of these people, they made their own passports, made their own stamps, there are many stamps in the passport that we believe were forged and placed inside the passport to have the passport appear to be genuine, a genuine issued Belizean passport."
Keith Swift,
Were this passports ever in immigration records reported as stolen?
Supt. Chester Williams,
"From our investigations no, they have never been reported stolen from the immigration office."
The men have admitted they bought the passports but police disclose how much the men said they paid for the passports or who they bought them from.
Supt. Chester Williams,
"At this point in time we do have any leads to say where the passports came from. We have interviewed all three persons and they are all mute at this time. They are not saying anything as to where they got the passports from."
Keith Swift,
Have they indicated that they bought the passports?
Supt. Chester Williams,
"Yes they have indicated that they bought the passports from someone in China."
Keith Swift,
Did they say how much they paid for the passports?
Supt. Chester Williams,
"Yes they did but I am not going to disclose that information."
Police say the men have admitted that even though they hold Belizean passports, they never really lived in Belize.
Supt. Chester Williams,
"They have also stated that they had not come to Belize recently and they have never applied for Belizean citizenship. So then if you have never applied citizenship then automatically that does not authorize you to hold a Belizean passport."
Keith Swift,
Had they been to Belize before?
Supt. Chester Williams,
"Based on the interview we had with them, they disclosed that yes they had visited Belize before but they have never applied for any Belizean citizenship. At this point in time we are looking at all possibilities and we are conducting an intense investigation."
An investigation that could likely turn up more of these.
All three were denied bail because they are considered flight risks. While police have listed all three as Chinese nationals, in court this afternoon Hiunim Jiang and Dong Fang Ouayang identified themselves as South Korean nationals. All three men also listed their residential address at various locations in the city.
