Immigration stops woman, teenage boy bound for UK with forged visa

30 April 2024 12:00 am Views - 120

• The woman had tried to impersonate the boy’s mother whilst his actual mother was waiting at the departure lounge

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

A 17-year-old boy and a woman who had been accompanying him bound for the United Kingdom were stopped by the Immigration and Emigration Department personnel at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on Saturday when the duo attempted to leave the country on forged travel documents. 

 
The two who had come to board a SriLankan Airlines flight UL 503 bound for London had been referred to the Immigration officials at the Departure Terminal by the airline staff as their travel documents were looking suspicious.   

According to the immigration sources at the BIA, the travel documents of the boy and the woman had been referred to the Border Surveillance Unit (BSU) and found that the UK visas pasted on their genuine passports were forged.   

It was reported that the woman had tried to impersonate the boy’s mother whilst his actual mother was waiting at the departure lounge.   

The suspected boy and the woman who were from Mullaitivu had been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Unit at the BIA for further inquiries.