15-year-old admits to using fake ID to travel to London from Malta

A 15-year-old Albanian youth is to be returned to his homeland after he was arrested while trying to fly from Malta to London using a fake Greek ID card.

Principal immigration officer, Insp. Victor Aquilina, arraigned the teenager before Magistrate Gabriella Vella, explaining that the police had received information that a Greek national had been stopped at the airport while trying to travel to London from Malta, after the authenticity of the document was questioned by officials.

A search of his luggage discovered his genuine Albanian passport. The Greek ID card was later examined by forensic experts and found to be a forgery, he said.

The accused pleaded guilty to the charges.

Defence lawyer Mifsud Cutajar, who was appointed as legal aid to the accused, argued for the minimum punishment to be inflicted, in view of the early admission.

This view was shared by the prosecution, which suggested a conditional discharge, also in view of the age of the offender.

The court found the teenager guilty in view of his admission. A conditional discharge of one year was imposed. It was explained that if the Albanian were to commit another offence in Malta in the next year, together with the punishment for that crime, he would also receive punishment for this offence.

The young man will immediately be returned to Albania.