I

mmigration officers at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, arrested three Nigerians on Saturday after they were caught trying to enter Indonesia using fake passports.

The head of the Soekarno-Hatta Immigration Office, Enang Supriyadi Syamsi, said the three foreigners, who arrived in the country using Ethiopian Air, were caught by officers as they were trying to enter Indonesia using fake Ghanaian passports in order to evade visa requirements.

Although most nationalities can enter Indonesia visa-free or apply for a visa-on-arrival at the airport, the archipelago still requires citizens of 11 nations to apply for tourist visas and receive approval from the Immigration Directorate in Jakarta before entering.

These countries, according to the Foreign Ministry, include Afghanistan, Israel, North Korea and Nigeria.

“They tried to use Ghanaian passports so they can enter the country visa-free because if they use a Nigerian passport they would have to apply for a visa first,” Enang said as quoted by kompas.com on Monday.

Enang and his team are currently attempting to ascertain the three men’s motives for coming to Indonesia. He also said they would be returned to their country once the investigation is complete.