Airports Authority constable jailed in immigration evasion case

An Arima magistrate on Monday sentenced an estate constable with the Airports Authority to ten months of simple imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a Guyanese woman to elude examination by an immigration officer.

Collin Sydney was before Magistrate Avion Gill in the Third Court on the single charge of aiding and abetting Fathima Khan to elude examination by immigration.

In July last year, Gill fined Khan $15,000 after she pleaded guilty to eluding examination.

It was the prosecution’s case that Khan disembarked from a Caribbean Airlines flight from Guyana on January 14, 2020, and walked out of the terminal building with someone’s assistance, evading immigration and bypassing Customs, and going straight to an awaiting vehicle.

She was arrested by police on January 17, 2020, at a house in Carapichaima and her passport showed no arrival stamps to show she had arrived in Trinidad and Tobago.

In sentencing her, Gill said the court had to send a “clear message” that it will not tolerate the breaching of TT’s immigration laws.

Gill sent a similar message on Monday when she sentenced Sydney as a deterrent for others who work at the airport.

It was the prosecution’s case that Sydney was on duty at the Piarco International Airport screening international departing passengers when Khan arrived at the airport from Guyana. The two met in the in-transit corridor and Sydney escorted Khan past the immigration division checkpoint for arriving passengers without her being examined.

It was the prosecution’s contention that in doing so, Sydney aided and abetted Khan to elude examination as required by section 18 of the Immigration Act and his action was a breach of the border control protocols.

Khan and Sydney were charged by Sgt Ajene Balewa.

For his guilty plea, Sydney received a one-third discount of five months, taking his sentence from 15 months to ten.

He was represented by Shervon Noreiga while deputy Director of Public Prosecutions George Busby prosecuted Sydney.