Sri Lanka’s Attorney General told the country’s Court of Appeal that the Chinese man who was arrested by the Immigration and Emigration Department for the possession of a fake passport, is a wanted person in China.He told the court that a warrant for his arrest had been issued by the Chinese Government.

On the 22nd of May 2023, it was reported that a Chinese national suspected of having used a forged passport in an attempt to enter Sri Lanka was set to be deported, and that he was later allowed to enter the country via the Katunayake Airport following intervention.On the 18th of May 2023, two Chinese nationals and an Egyptian had arrived in Sri Lanka from Dubai and one of the Chinese men had produced a Guinea passport at the Katunayake Airport.

Immigration and Emigration officers at the BIA had denied entry to the Chinese national upon deciding that the passport he produced was forged.It was then that State Minister Arundhika Fernando had intervened with the incident.On the 19th of May 2023, the State Minister had addressed a letter to the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration informing that the Chinese national had arrived in Sri Lanka to discuss a housing project that will be launched under his ministry.

The State Minister had requested that the Chinese man be allowed to enter Sri Lanka upon considering his Chinese passport.“The Chinese company based in Sri Lanka said that he is a genuine person, and he possesses a Chinese passport. They said that they will be responsible with regard to any punishment imposed on him, or on the decision to deport him. Therefore, I spoke to the Controller of Immigration and Emigration. I asked if it is possible to allow him to enter the country, using the Chinese passport. I addressed the letter on his advice and I did not influence him in any way,” explained the State Minister.

State Minister Arundika Fernando said that later was made aware that a Chinese national cannot use two passports.

On the 24th of May 2023, the Controller General of the Immigration and Emigration Department, Harsha Ilukpitiya, said that INTERPOL confirmed that the Guinea Passport that was in the possession of the Chinese National was forged.The Controller General of the Immigration and Emigration Department, Harsha Ilukpitiya, said that the Chinese Passport is a genuine document.On Tuesday (23), the Chinese National, who arrived in Sri Lanka on the 18th of May with two passports, was arrested.

The Controller General of the Immigration and Emigration Department, Harsha Ilukpitiya, later said that the Chinese National was arrested, and investigations are underway with assistance from the Chinese Embassy and INTERPOL.

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published