A 49-year-old Tasmanian man faced Hobart Magistrates Court yesterday for a range of criminal offences, including the alleged possession of a genuine Australian passport bearing his photo, but a false name.
Police will allege in court the fraudulent document was acquired with intent to circumvent court-imposed orders that applied to any overseas travel the man undertook.
Members of the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Tasmania Police's Serious Crime Unit, The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Australian Border Force (ABF) participated in the execution of a search warrant in Bridgewater yesterday morning, Wednesday, 18 November 2020. Authorities were acting on information provided by DFAT's Passport Fraud & Compliance Section.
Police seized the Australian passport and various other fraudulent identification documents in the assumed name. It will be alleged in court the man successfully used the fraudulent documents to travel overseas. Enquiries are ongoing into the nature and purpose of this travel.
Also seized were more than 4000 steroid tablets, small quantities of a substance believed to be amphetamine, and more than 1000 luxury-branded watches and jewellery items suspected to be counterfeit.
The seized drugs will be the subject of further forensic analysis.
The 49-year-old was yesterday (19 November 2020) charged with the following offences:
- One count of making a false or misleading statement in connection with an Australian travel document application contrary to section 29 of the Australian Passports Act 2005 (Cth). Maximum penalty is 10 years imprisonment.
- One count of obtaining an Australian travel document dishonestly by posing as another, contrary to subsection 35(1) of the Australian Passports Act 2005 (Cth). Maximum penalty is 10 years imprisonment.
- One count of possessing goods for the purpose of trade and on those goods was a mark or sign that is substantially identical to a registered trade mark and the registered trade mark was added without the permission of the registered owner of the trade mark, contrary to section 148 of the Trade Marks Act 1995 (Cth). Maximum penalty is five years imprisonment
- 10 counts of improper use or possession of an Australian travel document contrary to section 32 (2) of the Australian Passports Act 2005 (Cth). Maximum penalty is 10 years imprisonment.
