Girl turned to crime to meet tuition fees

A TEENAGER turned to crime in a desperate bid to pay for her studies.

Form Six student Lau Pui-shan, 18, got caught up in a racket involving forged travel documents to earn money to buy textbooks and pay for tuition.

She appeared at the District Court yesterday and admitted a charge of possessing forged identity cards. She was placed on probation for a year.

Prosecutor William Stirling told the court Lau had met a woman named Fo Kei who suggested the scheme to her and introduced her to a man known as 'Boss'.

'Boss' told her she would get a flight to Japan and he would pay her if she gave two envelopes to a couple who would be flying on the same plane.

On August 7 they went to Kai Tak airport and 'Boss' gave her two envelopes containing doctored Hong Kong identity cards, Japan Airlines tickets for flights to Tokyo, and 69,000 yuan (HK$64,200). He told her to give the envelopes to the couple when they were safely on the plane.