Tonga Police Taskforce made two more arrests Featured
14 March, 2017. The Tonga Police Taskforce made two further arrests in relation to fraudulent activities over passport applications.
On Friday 10 March 2017 Police arrested and charged a 44 year-old Tongan man from Kolofo‟ou with forgery and false declaration. Also a 54 year-old man from Tofoa has been charged with forgery and knowingly dealing with forged documents.
Both accused persons appeared at the Fasi Magistrate Court yesterday morning (Monday 13 March 2017) and were remanded on bail to Monday 20 March 2017.
The head of the Passport Taskforce, Deputy Police Commissioner Viliami ‘Unga Fa’aoa said, “The investigation of passport fraud is taken very seriously. We are taking a zero tolerance approach to reports of passport fraud and putting accused persons before the courts.”
The Passport Taskforce is working closely with the Ministry of Justice, Tonga Immigration, National Identity Cards Office and the Ministry of Health in combating crimes of identity fraud.
The latest two arrests bring the total of arrests to 23 persons arrested since the commencement of the Passport Task Force investigation on 25 August 2015. 12 convictions have been entered to date by the Courts.
-Tonga Police