By: Kemo Kanyi
The Gambia Immigration Department (GID) has confirmed that five Gambian biometric passports intercepted at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada are counterfeit.
The confirmation followed an investigation conducted by Gambian authorities in collaboration with their Canadian counterparts.
In a response letter dated 28 April 2026 and seen by The Voice, the GID informed the Canadian authorities that the documents were fake after a detailed forensic examination by its Document Examination and Fraud Detection Unit.
The passports were intercepted on 12 March 2026 during inspection of an incoming parcel at Toronto Pearson International Airport, according to the department.
The GID said it assigned senior officers from its Intelligence, Investigations and Risk Analysis Cell, Public Relations Office, and Document Examination and Fraud Unit to investigate the matter.
The department said it also engaged the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Canadian liaison officers in Rabat to verify the authenticity of the documents.
According to the GID, Canadian criminal investigation authorities confirmed via email that the five passports were false documents.
The passports reportedly bore the names of: Dominic Mubarak, Kennedy Mboma, Anderson Kalumba, Charles Mbesuma, and Benjamin Zulu.
The GID said its forensic analysis found multiple irregularities, including non-existent passport numbers in its biometric database, poor-quality security features, incorrect chip dimensions, misaligned machine-readable zones, and non-laser perforation markings.
The department concluded that all five documents were entirely counterfeit.
The GID said it would continue cooperation with international border agencies to combat document fraud and strengthen border security.
