Three admit to using forged travel documents

Three men have received suspended sentences in separate arraignments today, for attempting to travel with false travel documents.

The false passports were picked up by airport staff as a result of the reintroduction of border control checks following the suspension of the European Union's Schengen agreement.

Passport-related arraignments have spiked since the suspension.

Dejan Radojcic, 39, from Serbia, Oba Justice Uche, 30, from Nigeria and Leonard Koroni, 45, from Albania, had all been arrested at the airport on suspicion of using false papers to travel in the past 24 hours.

The men appeared before magistrate Neville Camilleri today, charged with possession of false passports and immigration documents and with having knowingly made use of forged documents.

Police inspector Mario Haber told the court that Koroni had been arrested with a false passport before boarding a flight to Dublin. Uche had been taken into custody after presenting a false Italian residence permit and an expired visa to passport control.

All three men pleaded guilty and were handed 18 month prison sentences, suspended for three years. It is understood that the men are to be deported.

Lawyer Noel Bartolo appeared as legal aid to the defendants.