Fines for Chinese-Taiwanese Connection over False Nationality Certificate

Chinese national Zheng Yuanran and a Taiwanese national acting as his translator remain in police custody tonight in Belmopan. Zheng entered Belize on Sunday, November fifth, but the pair was arrested by the following day, on Monday, at the Social Security Board office after Zheng tried to apply for a Social Security card using a fake Belizean nationality certificate.  But S.S.B. personnel noted that the nationality certificate was fraudulent and called in the Immigration Department. Zheng was handed over to police and charged with uttering on a false document and using a false document to obtain an Immigration document; he was fined two thousand dollars, while his Taiwanese translator from Camalote was fined one thousand dollars for assisting Zheng’s deception.  Zheng is also to reappear before the court on Thursday on related charges from the S.S.B.  But is this part of an immigration ring involving false Belizean documents? In the case of the Taiwanese, police continue investigations into his role, as they have received information that there are other cases in which he has assisted persons to obtain documents using fraudulent Belizean nationality.  A third person, said to be a U.S. national, was also detained but has been released.