A Sri Lankan man was stopped at Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport while trying to transit to Canada on a forged Canadian passport he said he had bought from a smuggling ring for US$10,000, Taiwan’s immigration authorities have disclosed.
He was intercepted on August 13 and deported to Singapore, his previous port of call, in line with international practice, the National Immigration Agency’s Border Affairs Corps said. Details were released to Taiwanese media on Monday. His name and age were not disclosed.
Flagged by airline ground staff
Ground staff at EVA Air alerted the agency after noticing irregularities in the man’s travel document and booking itinerary while processing his transfer. He had arrived from Singapore and was due to fly on to Toronto.
Officers who examined the passport found multiple signs of forgery in its security features and printed data, according to Kang Ching-nien, who heads the corps’ special duties team.
Kang said the man was initially combative, denying any irregularity and telling officers not to delay his journey. He could not answer basic questions about Canada, including the capital and his stated home address, and could not sing the Canadian national anthem. He then admitted he was Sri Lankan and produced his genuine Sri Lankan passport from his luggage.
”Borrowed from relatives to work in Canada”
The man told officers he had paid US$10,000 — about NT$319,000 — to a smuggling network for the forged passport, and that the network had arranged his route and tickets so that an international transfer would mask his identity, both outlets reported.
Once identified, he changed his approach and asked to be allowed through, saying he had borrowed the money from relatives and friends and needed to reach Canada to work and repay the debt.
Corps commander Lin Ching-fen said the unit was strengthening document verification, facial comparison and interview screening, and working with airlines and immigration agencies abroad, to stop Taiwan being used as a transit point for cross-border crime.
Context
Taiwan suspended tourist visa applications from Sri Lankan passport holders in July, restricting travel to categories including business, medical treatment and family visits. The man in this case was in airside transit rather than seeking entry to Taiwan.
Sri Lanka’s mission in Addis Ababa warned this month against irregular migration routes after three nationals were rescued from traffickers in Ethiopia, saying unauthorised smugglers expose travellers to exploitation and severe legal consequences.
