Student arrested at Ercan Airport for trying to leave the country with fake passport

An individual who was caught trying to exit the TRNC with a fake ID, was sent to prison by the court after it was determined that he had been residing without permission for almost 2000 days.

The individual, BET, was arrested on Monday December 23 on charges of forgery and unauthorized residence.

He was brought before the Lefkoşa District Court on Tuesday morning and being tried for the offenses of "Forgery of an official document," "Circulating a forged official document," "Impersonation," and "Unauthorized residence in the TRNC."

Police officer who testified in court said the suspect was caught in the act on December 23, 2024, at around 4:00 AM while attempting to exit through Ercan Airport. During checks conducted by immigration police on duty, it was determined that the suspect had no record of entry into the TRNC.

According to the suspect's statement, he claimed to have found a fake French identity card issued in the name of Samba Fobani on the ground and then altered it by attaching his own photo to the document.

The police revealed that investigations showed the suspect legally entered the TRNC through Ercan Airport on July 11, 2019, but since that date, he had no further immigration records. It was determined that he had resided in the TRNC without authorization for a total of 1,996 days. 

Furthermore, an expert report prepared after the fake identity card was handed over to a document examination specialist confirmed that the original photo had been replaced with the suspect's photo.

The police noted that the suspect has no ties to the TRNC and emphasized that if released, there is a strong likelihood he would escape the country through illegal means. They requested his detention in the central prison to ensure his presence during the trial.

Evaluating the testimony presented, the judge ordered the suspect to remain in custody in the central prison for no longer than 45 days.