ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – The police have remanded two Chinese nationals who were held at the VC Bird International Airport last Saturday, as they attempted to board a flight with fake Canadian visas.

The men, 43-year-old Jianming Chen, and Qianqian Chen, 22, pleaded not guilty to two separate charges of uttering a Chinese passport containing a forged Canadian visa and fraud when they appeared in court on Wednesday. The men have been remanded until Monday.

Reports indicate that the duo had been travelling the world since departing China on July 25. Their stops included Thailand and Dominica, before arriving here on September 14.

The two claimed they were met by an unnamed individual who took them to a hotel. They also claimed that their passports were taken by that unknown individual and days later when it was returned, it contained the fake document along with a one-way ticket to Canada.

While at the airport, the West Jet Airlines agent, on checking the men in for the flight, observed some irregularities with the visa. A check with the Canadian Border Security confirmed the visa was not authentic.

The men are scheduled to reappear in court on October 10.