Tougher jail term for Dubai passport control officers

This content was originally posted in 7DAYS UAE website at: Tougher jail term for Dubai passport control officers The Dubai Court of Appeal has increased the sentences handed to two passport control officers, who were found guilty of helping illegal residents leave the country without being arrested. The Emiratis, aged 31 and 30, were originally jailed for six months and fined Dhs50,000 each. But the appeal court sentenced them to one year. They had been found guilty of forging and altering documents using the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department system, paying off exit fees for more than 1,000 people who had overstayed their visas. The incidents took place between 2008 and December 2012. Prosecutors said the men worked at Dubai International Airport. The court was not told their motive, including whether they had ever accepted bribes. A routine check of the payments system found they had let off 1,119 people, mostly Pakistani nationals. ali.shouk@7days.ae Read the original story at: Tougher jail term for Dubai passport control officers