The Immigration and Citizenship Special Taskforce team has uncovered a syndicate involved in producing “fake PNG visas”.
This follows the apprehension of an Australian citizen (name withheld) who was in possession of a fake visa when trying to leave the country.
Minister for Immigration and Border Security, Westly Nukundj, labelled the uncovering of the syndicate as a breakthrough.
According to a statement, members of the ICA Special Taskforce received a tip-off and conducted surveillance at the Jackson’s International Airport on Sunday March 08th, and apprehended a female Australian citizen in possession of the fake visa.
It is alleged the woman overstayed her tourist visa and to avoid apprehension, paid for and obtained an illegally produced visa to exit the country.
The woman admitted to paying K5,000 to a PNG citizen who introduced her to a middle man residing at Gerehu who produced and delivered her visa after three days.
According to the ICA Taskforce, the serial number on the visa belonged to another Australian and the writings on the visa labels appeared to be bogus using Microsoft Word and did not correspond with the Border Management system record.
The two alleged visa fraudsters are now detained at the Boroko police station cell after being interrogated, formally arrested and charged.
Minister Nukundj said processing of fake visas is a serious threat to border security and the Immigration and Taskforce team with police are vigorously working around the clock to pin down the members of this syndicate.
Names and identities of the PNG nationals behind this are known and investigations are continuing.
In a similar case in 2013, a group of Napalese nationals were promised jobs in PNG and lured into paying huge sums of money to a certain group that produced fake PNG visas for them.
These men were apprehended by Immigration officials at Jackson’s and deported back to their country.