From the Cth Department of Immigration and Citizenship
site -
A Vietnamese man was handed a six-month jail sentence in the Melbourne Magistrates Court today after he was prosecuted for using three false identities to apply for and obtain permanent residence and fraudulently obtain and use a genuine Australian passport.
A Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) spokesman said the sentence sent a strong warning to those engaging in migration-related fraud.
Van Son Nguyen, a convicted drug trafficker serving a seven-year sentence, was also convicted on charges s.234(1)(b) of the Migration Act 1958, s.10(1)(a) of the Passports Act 1938 and s.11 of the Statutory Declarations Act 1959.
DIAC’s facial comparison specialist identified that the photographs of Mao Lay, who had altered his date of birth, Saing Nguyen and Van Son Nguyen matched.
“The department continues to develop specialised capabilities in the areas of facial recognition, document examination and fingerprint analysis to assist with the investigation of fraud offences as well as maintaining the integrity of the migration program,” the spokesman said. “This includes the expansion of biometric collection points and sharing of data with partner countries and government agencies.
“These developments have led to several recent successful prosecutions against people found to have used false information, including identity details, as part of visa application processes.
“Over the past 12 months, eight individuals have been successfully prosecuted for offences relating to identity fraud used to subvert
immigration channels. These cases have resulted in numerous convictions federal offences [sic] under the Migration Act, Criminal Code Act and Foreign
Passports Act.”
DIAC subsequently announced -
A Sri Lankan-born man was jailed for three-months in Melbourne today for supplying false information in his application for permanent residence and subsequent Australian citizenship.
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) successfully prosecuted Surendran Rajendran, who hid his true identity and background when applying for a visa to Australia.
A department spokesman said Rajendran was charged with offences under the Migration Act 1958, Citizenship Act 1948 and other breaches of Commonwealth law.
“In 2007, this man made claims to DIAC that he was another person and was subsequently granted permanent residence through the general skilled migration program, and then Australian citizenship in 2010,” the spokesman said.
“DIAC later learned that documentation supplied to support his claimed identity was falsified.”
Rajendran received a three-month prison sentence for the offences in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court today.
