Hayden Mills
Monday, November 7th 2005

THE Russian-born Israeli national who was grilled by officers attached to Interpol, Immigration Division officers and officers attached to the Port of Spain Criminal Investigations Department (CID) over the weekend has been charged with the unlawful possession of an immigration stamp.

The foreigner, 30, who told police he was employed with a restaurant in Israel, will appear before an Arima Magistrate today.

He was arrested on Friday and was detained at the Arouca Police Station since then, after the couple with whom he was staying in a shack in the Northern Range forest off Spring Road in Five Rivers, Arouca reported him to the police.

The couple were also questioned by police but have since been released.

The accused man, police said, has been in the country for about two months and has been here illegally since he overstayed the time given to him by the Immigration Division.

Police said that based on the interrogation by the Immigration officers, enough information was gathered to lay the charge against the man.

Cpl Baptiste of the Arouca CID laid the charge which around 7 a.m. yesterday.

Police say investigations will continue to try to ascertain why he was in the country illegally.

He has not yet retained an attorney, the Express learnt.

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