THREE mainlanders have been caught using doctored SAR passports despite the travel document having anti-forgery features claimed by authorities to be the most advanced in the world, the Sunday Morning Post has found.
Immigration and Canadian consulate officials are trying to keep the forgery cases secret as they fear publicity will undermine the SAR Government's bid to overcome suspicions about the travel document.
Revelation of the cases will embarrass Immigration Director Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong as he prepares to travel to Europe next month to attempt to persuade nations such as France to grant visa-free access to SAR passport holders.
But Paris is understood to be highly sceptical and treats Hong Kong travel document holders the same as mainlanders, requiring them to obtain visas.
In the latest case, a mainland woman waiting to board a flight at Chek Lap Kok airport to Vancouver was found to be carrying an altered SAR passport in July. An immigration officer from the airport investigation group noticed that personal details on the inside page of the passport had been altered, sources said.
The woman was sentenced to four months in prison.
In the other cases, two mainlanders were detected trying to illegally immigrate to Canada through Montreal airport in June with forged SAR passports.
