A 24-year-old woman who bought a ticket to Bangkok, Thailand, entered a restricted area at the airport in September last year, and claimed to the immigration staff hours after her flight departed that she had missed her flight and had to go through cancellation procedures. The Immigration Department doubted the defendant's interpretation and conducted an in-depth investigation against the defendant, revealing that the woman was only entering the restricted area to hang out with friends, and not to leave Hong Kong.


The defendants were subsequently charged with one count of misleading members of the Immigration Service and one count of staying in restricted area of the airport without reasonable excuse, and were pleaded guilty yesterday to a total of four weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 24 months and fined $3,000 in the Shatin Magistrates' Court.


Under the current legislation, no person is allowed to enter or stay in restricted areas unless he carries a valid pass with him or is accompanied by a holder of a pass authorised by the authorities. (Profile photo / Photo by Leung Pengwei)

Charged with misleading immigration officers and staying in restricted areas of airports without reasonable excuse

The Immigration Department announced that on September 9, the female defendant purchased a ticket to Bangkok, Thailand, pretending to be a departing passenger and entering the restricted area of the airport because her friend was feasting. A few hours after the flight departed, the woman claimed to the immigration staff that she had missed her flight and needed to go through cancellation procedures.

The Immigration Department was doubtful about the defendant's interpretation and conducted an in-depth investigation against the defendant. Under caution, the defendant admitted that he had entered the restricted area of the airport pretending to be a departing passenger on the day of the crime, and that the defendant had never intended to leave Hong Kong for Thailand. The defendants were charged with one count of misleading members of the Immigration Service and one count of staying in restricted areas of the airport without reasonable excuse. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges at the Shatin Magistrates' Court yesterday and was sentenced to a total of 4 weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 24 months and fined $3,000.

A spokesman for the Immigration Department added that under the existing legislation, any person who commits the offence of making a false statement to mislead an Immigration Service member is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of HK$10,000 and imprisonment for 6 months.

According to the Aviation Security Regulations, no person is allowed to enter or stay in a restricted area unless he carries a valid pass with him or is accompanied by a pass holder authorised by the authorities. On conviction, the maximum penalty is a fine of $50,000,<> and imprisonment for two years.

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