A South Korean man has been arrested and sentenced to more than two years in prison on Monday, Sept. 03, after he provided a mainland Chinese man a boarding pass to illegally enter Australia.
Lee Joon Ho, a self-proclaimed businessman, intentionally left a boarding pass inside a toilet stall at Hong Kong International Airport in December 2011, South China Morning Post reported. He acquired the said boarding pass to Sydney, Australia using his real I.D. and passport.
The boarding pass was, then, picked up by a mainland Chinese man who entered the restricted area using his real passport and a ticket to a mainland city. When he tried boarding the plane with a fake passport, which had Lee Joon Ho's identity information, the Chinese man was immediately stopped and arrested by the Hong Kong immigration officers.
According to Ng Chi Hong, who is a chief immigration officer at the Anti-Illegal Migration Agency, the mainland Chinese man reportedly paid more than 120,000 yuan (US$17,500) to enter Sydney, Australia and look for a job illegally.
The Chinese man was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment in 2012. He was also charged with making a false representation to an immigration officer and possession of a forged travel document.
Lee Joon Ho, on the other hand, was only arrested on Monday, Sept. 3 because the investigators were still searching for enough evidence to prove that he gave his boarding pass to another person.
"This is an individual case and we don't think it was syndicated criminal activity," Ng Chi Hong added. "Hong Kong is an international transport hub, we cannot rule out the possibility that the outlaws might make use of this for criminal activities."
Hong Kong International Airport is known for its strict implementation of its guideline. It is also one of the strictest security airports in the world.
An average of two Filipinos a month have been arrested at Hong Kong International Airport for bringing stun guns and other illegal items (bullets, pepper sprays, extended batons, tear gas, flick knives and knuckledusters) in their hand-carry or checked-in luggage, Asia Times reported.
Many of them are only in transit to other destinations. Hence, the Philippine Consulate General reminded Filipinos not to bring stun guns and other prohibited items when they come to Hong Kong. As per Hong Kong's Firearms and Ammunition Ordinance, any convicted individual faces a fine of HK$100,000 and a sentence of up to five years imprisonment.
