Quebec man gets prison sentence after trying to smuggle fake permanent residence cards, licences

A Quebec man has been sentenced for attempting to import more than 1,000 fake IDs into Canada. (CBSA)

A Quebec man has been sentenced to over two years in prison after attempting to smuggle more than 1,000 forged documents into the country, including Canadian permanent resident cards and driver's licences.

Jonghun Lee, 38, pleaded guilty on Nov. 18 at the Laval, Que. courthouse following an investigation by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

According to the border agency, the Quebec City resident tried to import 509 counterfeit cards to reproduce permanent residency cards and 506 counterfeit cards reproducing Alberta driver's licences. He was sentenced last month to 30 months' imprisonment.

The CBSA said he was also convicted of forging documents, including Canadian citizenship cards, permanent residence cards, work permits, and driver's licences from several provinces "with the intention of them being used or acted upon as genuine."

Border agents at the Mirabel office intercepted a package from China on Jan. 14, 2022. CBSA investigators later executed a search warrant at Lee's home, where they found equipment for manufacturing false documents, completed and unfinished fake documents, a computer, cellphones, money printing presses, and nearly $140,000 in Canadian and U.S. currency.

The equipment and fake documents were destroyed, as was the money, the CBSA said.

"Our government is determined to counter fraud and identity theft and bring to justice those who engage in it. To the CBSA officers involved in this investigation - thank you. Your efforts are instrumental to protecting the integrity of our immigration system," said federal public safety minister, Dominic LeBlanc, in a statement.