LANKAN REFUGEES DETAINED
Three men, suspected to be Sri Lankan refugees, who tried to board a Frankfurt-bound charter on allegedly forged passports issued in Tamil Nadu, were arrested at the Dabolim international airport, India. While two were detained and are presently in the custody of the Vasco police, the third escaped, the Times of India reported yesterday.
Airport Immigration PI Rajan Prabhudesai told TOI that officials of the Goa-sharjah-frankfurt Condor Airlines were suspicious of the men as the charter rarely sees nonGermans. Refusing to issue the trio boarding passes, the staff alerted immigration police.
As Guruparan Nanasiam alias Muthaiyam Ravi, Kuwasingham Nivakaran alias Rathmanathan Janarthan and Nanvaneethal Santhivatoss (real name not known) were being interrogated by immigration police, Santhivatoss asked to use the toilet and escaped.
Sources said he was allowed to go to the restroom without an escort and fled, despite the immigration police desk being barely 40-50m away. While alerted CISF and immigration police personnel immediately began a search, Santhivatoss was not to be found.
On the two other accused, Vasco police sources said, "A Sri Lankan refugee card was found in one of the men's pockets raising suspicions that they are Sri Lankan nationals. If they are Sri Lankans they cannot hold Indian passports and their passports, issued at Trichunapalli, are therefore forged."
Explaining further, sources said, "Forgers often retain all the details in a stolen passport changing only the photo. Fake passports are often adopted by refugees to enter foreign countries and later take their families too."
Vasco police have registered a case against the two arrested under IPC Sections 465, 467 and 471, all dealing with forgery, and 12B of the Passport Act-travelling without a valid passport.