December 7, - hat

inside

the news

64 pages

Nutcracker ballot
set for Friday: 9

“|

i a Crossword: 80

Mi Inside Stories.
@ North Shore Alert...16 ‘

Sunshine Girl.......

eTV Listings.......

@ Author Sarah Ellis in
the. spotlight: 21

.@ Tis the season of
indulgence: 24

. Weather —.
Thursday: mainly cloudy,
High 4c, low -3 C.

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B.C. REFORM
Suspicions grow that
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slacking his
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supporters to hijack race,

Weisgerber is

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NEWS photo Torry Poters

_ THE JAWS of lite were used to free a man who was trapped in his Toyota on Tuesday morning. The driver apparently drove
down the East 3rd Street hill in North Vancouver, passed a gravel truck and ended up striking a hydro pole during a snow-
fall. The man suffered cuts to his head and was taken to > hospital. .

Man faces four charges in 1 false passport probe

AN ALLEGED prominent player in a
passport forgery conspiracy in North
Vancouver was released from jail on
Friday.

By Anna Marie D'Angelo

News Reporter

Siamak Ashrafinia, 43. was arrested fast

Thursday in connection with two charges of forg-

ing passports and two charges of conspiring to
effect illegal immigration with false passports.

Said Judge Jerome Paradis before granting
Ashrafinia’s release, “I can’t see that it will be
business as usuitl.” ‘ ;

Federal Crown lawyer Jay Straith argued
aginst Ashratinia release, saying the equipment
used to forge passports had ‘not been recovered
and an alleged “stack” of passports were sull out
there. “We don't know who he (Ashrafinia} will
fet into utis country,” said Straith.

He added for public safety and the public’ s
concerns. Ashrafinia should not be let out to pos-
ibly re-offend.

Ashrafinia’s lawyer, Henry Vlug, said that if
his client was denied release, then every alleged
cheque forger arrested should be kept in custody
because there were blank cheques available out-
side jail. “Anybody could go out and re-offend.”
said Vlug.

Straith did not consider the accused as a risk
to leave the country.

Paradis asked Straith why he didn’t think:

Ashrafinia would jeave the country after being
released from jail.

Straith said Ashrafinia had his wife and two
children in Canada.

lronically. Ashrafinia had become a Canadian
citizen within days of his arrest last week in con-
nection with his alleged business enterprise of
helping egal immigrants make their home in
Canada. -

Ashrafinia, Straith said, was.a refugee, who-.

would be stateless if he left the country. :
Replied Paradis. “But if he can make pass-
ports?...
The case against Ashrafinia revolves around an
undercover RCMP investigation that began in
February in North Vancouver's franian community.

Straith said an undercover officer allegedly
bought a forged German passport complete with
a Canadian visa in it for his cousin in February
from Ashrafinia at.his central Lonsdale Avenue
business.

A member of the local [ranian community had
referred the undercover officer to Ashrafinia. The
cost of the fake government documentation:
$1,500.

The. undercover police officer also stated that
he witnessed a member of the Iranian communi-
ty pick up a forged Canadian passport at the
Lonsdale Avenue business. ;

On April 13, the undercover officer allegedly
heard Ashrafinia say that he could provide
Canadian passports, German passports, Canadian
immigration papers and “how. many people do
you want?”

The laminating machine and cameras used for
photos for the fake passports were allegedly:
shown to the undercover agent by Ashrafinia, |

Straith said the forged work produced almost
perfect forgeries of the biographical. page of a

See Defense page 3.

REACHING EVERY DOOR ON THE NORTH SHORE SINCE E1969

‘