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Andy Gilbert

THE Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) claimed yesterday it had smashed Hong Kong's biggest ever passport forgery syndicate.

  Senior immigration officer Chau Chun-tong, 32, was among five people who appeared in court yesterday charged with conspiracy to seek an advantage.

  It is alleged they were part of a syndicate producing forged passports for mainland Chinese for about $200,000 a time.

  They were among 22 people arrested in raids on 77 premises across the territory by ICAC officers on Sunday.

  Another immigration officer is one of eight people still being questioned. Eight others were released on bail and one was released unconditionally.

  Francis Lee Chun-sang, acting assistant director of ICAC operations, said the arrests were the result of a year-long operation.

  He said two ICAC officers posed as members of the public who had relatives and friends in China.

  ''We may have to interview others [immigration officers]. I would not negate the possibility that others are involved,'' Mr Lee said.

  Some of the passports and other documents discovered related to South American countries.

 Chau, who has served 16 years in government service and is soon to be married, was stationed in the departure hall at Kai Tak airport.

 It was alleged that Chau and the other defendants - merchants Choi Fook-sang, 39, Cheung Lei, 45, Tsang Siu-lam, 32 and driver Chan King-chuen, 31 - had between September 15 and October 18 this year conspired to solicit a fee or reward of about $200,000.

  They are accused of asking for that sum from an undercover ICAC officer for affixing an Immigration Department stamp on a document purporting to be a PRC passport.

  Neil Maloney for the ICAC told Magistrate Michael Hill that this was a holding charge and said other charges of forgery were expected to be laid against the defendants.

 He claimed that Choi was the ring leader of the syndicate, and since the offences were ''very serious'', Mr Maloney requested a seven-day remand for further inquiries.

 Lawyer H. P. Chan, for Chau, said his client was ''very surprised'' at the charge, since he did not work in a section dealing with PRC arrivals. His duty was to stamp passports of those leaving Hong Kong.

 Chau sought bail so he could make plans for his December 23 wedding and housing arrangements.

 Grace Tong, who appeared for Choi and Cheung, sought bail, saying her clients were prepared to assist ICAC officers in their investigations at any time.

 Choi is a divorcee who has a young son and aged parents to care for.

   He runs a dried food trading company earning $20,000 a month.

 Cheung has a wife and three sons aged between eight and 16 and runs a trading company earning $8,000 a month.

 No pleas were taken and the case was adjourned to October 26.

   Chau, Choi and Cheung were each granted $50,000 bail, while Tsang and Chan were allowed bail of $15,000 each.

 All five were ordered to surrender their passports and told not to leave Hong Kong. They are also required to report daily to the police.



Immigration officer charged over passport forgery