Jan 28, Colombo: A Sri Lankan visa applicant was arrested for using deception and counterfeit documents to apply for a UK visa on 9 January, 2012, the British High Commission said in a press release Friday.

According to the release, the visa applicant was referred by the UK Border Agency to CID police in Colombo.

"The person concerned had submitted a passport containing a counterfeit Sri Lankan immigration arrival stamp. The counterfeit stamp had been obtained to conceal the duration of a visit made to the UK by the applicant in 2011. The visa application has been refused and the arrested applicant will have a 10 year ban on travel to the UK. In addition, the applicant now faces prosecution for these actions," the release said.

"UK Border Agency staff at the British High Commission are trained to detect false immigration stamps and visas. Falsifying and altering official stamps is a serious offence and the UK Border Agency is working with the CID and the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Sri Lanka to prevent attempts to illegally breach the UK border and to identify the agents who supply these stamps. The UK Border Agency will not tolerate abuse of the UK’s Immigration Rules and where we see abuse, we will take action against those who abuse it," UK Border Agency Entry Clearance Manager, Claire Murray, said.

"The UK Border Agency uncovered this fraud because it conducts rigorous checks on passports and documents submitted as part of the visa application," according to the statement.