Two Iranian nationals have been deported after being apprehended for attempting to travel to France through Sri Lanka using fake passports yesterday (Aug 22).
They have been identified as 28 and 18-year olds who had arrived in Sri Lanka from Istanbul, Turkey. Immigration officials said they had handed over two fake French passports while posing as French nationals at the airport.
An Immigration officer who had scanned the passports had learned that its particulars had been included in the red list of the INTERPOL's database.
Officials had later learned that the two individuals had used the passports of two French nationals who bore a similar resemblance to their identities.
A subsequent search carried out in the travelling bags of these individuals had led to the recovery of their Iranian passports. Accordingly, Immigration officials had confiscated the fake passports and had deported the Iranian nationals on the same day.
Earlier this month, another Iranian too had been apprehended while attempting to travel to New Zealand on a transit flight from Sri Lanka using a fake German passport.
The Iranian national, during a questioning had reportedly stated that several Iranians use fake passports to travel to New Zealand as refugees through Sri Lanka.
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A Sri Lanka Air Force Bell 212 helicopter belonging to the No. 72 squadron has crashed into the Madhuru Oya reservoir this morning, Air FOrce Media Spokesman Eranda Geeganage said.
Update: Five of the twelve passengers on board the bell 212 aircraft that crashed into the Maduru Oya today, have succumbed to their injuries, the SLAF said.
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