GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — A Cuban medical practitioner and his wife were sentenced to 12 months in prison after they were found to be in possession of forged Peruvian passports.

Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan imposed the sentence on Dr Alexey Vasquez, 38, and his wife Julia Sanchez, after admitting they had presented the forged documents to an immigration officer here.

The court heard that on February 13, they presented the forged passports to the immigration officer.

But an investigation later revealed that the couple travelled to Guyana using the same forged document that was not detected on their arrival at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

However, as they attempted to cross over to Suriname on Wednesday, the Immigration Officers at Moleson Creek realised that the documents had been forged.

Dr Vasquez told the court that he obtained the forged document through a contact from one of his patients in Cuba. He said he paid US$2,500 for the fake passports.

After listening to the man’s pleadings, the magistrate accepted the guilty pleas by the couple and sentenced them both to 12 months in jail and ordered that they be deported after completing their sentence.