African Woman Poses As A Local To Obtain A Belize Passport

Teena Isaac

Since the scandal broke involving the illegal issuance of passports, nationality documents and visas, a number of foreign nationals have been caught by alert immigration officials with fake immigration documents. On Tuesday, a Tanzanian woman was promptly detained when she visited the Immigration department in Belize City posing as a Belizean from up north.  Teena Isacc was brazen enough to attempt to use the identity of a woman from San Narsico, Corozal, to obtain a Belize passport. But her cover was soon blown and within minutes of presenting the documents she was detained and charged with four criminal offenses.  Isacc tried to pass off as Carmen Cantun of San Narciso. When Isacc presented the documents, immigration officials smelled the rat and after a thorough check, it was determined that she was not Cantun. Isacc was handed over to authorities and today in court she was charged with Using a Document She is Not Entitled to Use, that is a Social Security Card in the name of Carmen Cantun, Using a Birth Certificate in the Name of Cantun, and for Fabricating a Document, being a passport form for the purpose of applying for a Belize passport. The fourth count is for Failure to Comply with a Visitor’s Permit. Isacc arrived in Belize on July twenty-second, 2012, more than a year ago. She was given a one month stay which expired in August 2012, but there is no proof that she legally extended her stay. In court this afternoon, Isacc, who was unrepresented, pleaded guilty to all charges and was fined a total of four thousand dollars for the immigration offenses. But she was unable to pay the fines so she will be spending one year behind bars. When Isacc presented the documents, it was noted that her photo was well placed in Cantun’s Social Security Card and it is believed that she got inside help in securing the card as well as birth certificate in Cantun’s name. Authorities are yet to determine if Cantun is alive or deceased. It is also not known where Isacc was living prior to her arrest.