St Marteen police bust Guyanese crime ring

Seven Guyanese held in connection with a fake passport and residency papers scheme.

PHILIPSBURG, St Marteen, Wednesday March 30, 2011 – A group of Guyanese involved in selling fake Guyanese passports, Dutch residency papers and identification cards has been arrested by police after a one and a half year investigation.

Law enforcement officers took the family of five and their two friends into custody this week, according to reports in the local media.

Police seized forged documents as well as $30,000 in cash when they searched the family’s residence.

The seven arrested were identified as Bibi Yasmin Hussain; her three sons Katip, Khaleel and Kabeer Kholadin; Shameena Kamaladeen, the common-law wife of one of Kholadin men; and two family friends, Rajo and Patricia Mohese who are brother and sister.

Other persons are being sought in connection with the scam.

According to the St Martin News Network, the residency papers and ID cards were being sold for as much as US$5,000.

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