Close X
Monday, December 16, 2024
ADVT 
International

Indian Journalist Arrested In Australia On Charges Of People Smuggling

Darpan News Desk IANS, 11 May, 2018 12:43 PM
    An Indian journalist, charged with an aggravated people smuggling offence by Australian authorities for facilitating the travel of a “fake media contingent” to attend the Commonwealth Games, will stay in custody for six more weeks, a media report said on Friday.
     
     
    Rakesh Kumar Sharma, 46, was detained along with eight others Indian nationals by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers at the Brisbane Airport in March because his companions’ accreditation was not genuine, Brisbane Times reported.
     
     
    The Commonwealth Games were held on the Gold Coast south of Brisbane from April 4-15.
     
     
    The eight, aged between 20 and 37, were allegedly holding temporary activity visas and claiming to be accredited media representatives, the report said.
     
     
    Sharma is described in court documentation as a journalist with a Hindi language newspaper. Prosecutors claim his accreditation was genuine but he “facilitated” the group’s travel, the report said.
     
     
    Sharma, who is from Haryana, appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court and charged with an aggravated people smuggling offence, which carries a minimum five-year sentence if convicted.
     
     
    The charge applies to anyone accused of smuggling five or more people and carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.
     
     
    Sharma is also accused of causing “false or forged” documents to be presented on behalf of his eight fellow travellers in relation to a visa application, between December 2017 and March this year.
     
     
    Legal Aid solicitor Axel Beard used Google Translate to communicate with the accused as he stood in the dock during the first brief hearing.
     
     
    Sharma was remanded in custody in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday, with his matter adjourned to June 22 at the request of commonwealth prosecutors.
     
     
    In another blow to his legal cause, he will no longer be represented by private law firm Legal Guru after failing to satisfy the terms of his retainer.
     
     
    He will instead by represented by Legal Aid.
     
     
    His case has been delayed as Australian Federal Police continue preparing their brief of evidence, with time being taken to examine a laptop and nine mobile phones.
     
     
    The ABF confirmed the other eight had been taken into immigration detention.
     
     
    Local authorities had been tipped off by officials in Bangkok that the group might not be genuine, the ABF had said in a statement describing the group as a “fake media contingent”.
     
     
    All nine people were found to be carrying ‘false or forged’ documents.
     
     
    Australian Border Force Queensland regional commander Terry Price said any attempts to exploit the Commonwealth Games and Australia’s visa program would not be tolerated.
     
     
    “Anyone wishing to enter Australia, including athletes, team officials, spectators and the media, must hold a valid visa and accreditation and must be deemed to be a legitimate visitor,” he said in a statement.
     
     
    Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation chairman Peter Beattie had said there was no concern despite the security scare.
     
     
    “There should be no issue in relation to security at these Commonwealth Games. None at all,” he said.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    Nikki Haley Says She Won't Defend Donald Trump's Communication Style

    Nikki Haley, the top Indian-American diplomat, said that she does not believe she needs to publicly detail the private conversations she has with the president but noted that she thinks Trump is receptive to them.

    Nikki Haley Says She Won't Defend Donald Trump's Communication Style

    Indian Man Uses Toy Gun To Threaten Speeding Bus Drivers In Dubai

    Indian Man Uses Toy Gun To Threaten Speeding Bus Drivers In Dubai
    An Indian man allegedly used a toy gun to threaten and scare "speeding bus drivers" here, a Dubai court has heard.

    Indian Man Uses Toy Gun To Threaten Speeding Bus Drivers In Dubai

    India-Born Girl Vijayakumar Ragavi's Heart Disease Project Wins Award In Singapore

    India-Born Girl Vijayakumar Ragavi's Heart Disease Project Wins Award In Singapore
    An 18-year-old Chennai-born girl has won this year's A*Star Talent Search award in Singapore for her study of genetic heart disease "hypertrophic cardiomyopathy".

    India-Born Girl Vijayakumar Ragavi's Heart Disease Project Wins Award In Singapore

    Indian-American Lawyer Nisha Agarwal Appointed Senior Adviser In NY Mayor Bill De Blasio’s Admn

    Indian-American Lawyer Nisha Agarwal Appointed Senior Adviser In NY Mayor Bill De Blasio’s Admn
    Nisha Agarwal, 40, has been named as Senior Adviser to Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives Phil Thompson to advance the administration’s Democracy NYC initiative that is focused on expanding and protecting democracy for millions of New Yorkers.

    Indian-American Lawyer Nisha Agarwal Appointed Senior Adviser In NY Mayor Bill De Blasio’s Admn

    Indian-American Woman Deepa Ambekar Appointed Interim Civil Court Judge In NYC

    Indian-American Woman Deepa Ambekar Appointed Interim Civil Court Judge In NYC
    Indian-American Deepa Ambekar has been appointed as interim judge to the civil court of New York City, becoming the second Indian-American woman judge in the city after Chennai-born Raja Rajeswari.

    Indian-American Woman Deepa Ambekar Appointed Interim Civil Court Judge In NYC

    Indian-Origin Drug Dealer Gurdip Samra Jailed In UK For Conspiring To Supply Cocaine

    Indian-Origin Drug Dealer Gurdip Samra Jailed In UK For Conspiring To Supply Cocaine
    The officers first arrested Gurdip Samra's accomplice, Mark Lammin, after accosting him as he carried 10 kg of cocaine in a large holdall in Surrey, south-east England.

    Indian-Origin Drug Dealer Gurdip Samra Jailed In UK For Conspiring To Supply Cocaine