Chinese national allowed in with forged passport : Inquiry launched

May 22, 2023 at 12:28 PM

The government is to initiate action against a Chinese national who had allegedly entered Sri Lanka with a forged passport, Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles stated.

Addressing the media today, Minister Alles said that the Chinese national in question will be summoned today.

Minister Alles added that further action will be taken against the man with the consultation of the Chinese Embassy in Colombo.

It was reported that the Chinese national had arrived in Sri Lanka with a forged passport, along with a fellow Chinese national and an Egyptian last week (May 18).

Upon his passport being detected as forged by the Immigration and Emigration officers at the Katunayake airport, the group had behaved in an unruly manner due to which they had been detained to be deported.

However, it was later reported that State Minister of Urban Development and Housing Arundika Fernando had allegedly intervened after which the Chinese national had been released.

The State Minister is reported to have made a written request from the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration to allow the Chinese passenger to enter the country, claiming that he was a foreign investor.

In his letter, State Minister Arundika Fernando claimed that the Chinese national had visited Sri Lanka to invest in housing projects which are under the purview of his ministry.

According to Immigration and Emigration officials, the two Chinese nationals and the Egyptian had been released on Saturday (May 20). (NewsWire)