STERLING, VA  (TIP):  U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers intercepted an Indian national in possession of a fraudulent German passport Monday at Washington Dulles International Airport. The man was refused admission to the United States.

Authorities declined to prosecute the Indian man. Privacy laws prevent CBP from releasing his name because he was not criminally charged.

The 28-year-old Indian national arrived from Accra, Ghana, Sept 15 Monday morning and presented the German passport to a CBP officer during inspection. The CBP officer detected discrepancies in the passport’s biographical page and referred the man to a secondary examination.

File photo of the back patch of a CBP officer in an airport environment During the secondary examination, CBP officers were unable to access the passport’s electronic chip and suspected the chip to be altered or damaged. Under questioning, the man admitted to purchasing the passport in Ghana. CBP officers seized the passport and refused the Indian national admission to the United States.

“Customs and Border Protection officers are highly skilled at detecting impostors and fraudulent identity documents.  The nation’s security is dependent on CBP officers doing their job, recognizing those who are attempting to enter by illegal means among the millions of travelers who enter the country for legitimate purposes,” said Casey Durst, CBP’s Director of the Baltimore Field Office.