Foreign Woman Ditches Passport at Customs—Police Uncover Past

Source: OT-Team(G), 央视新闻

The disappearance of a foreign woman's passport in Chongqing set off an unexpected investigation.

According to China Central Television (CCTV), a recent incident at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport has exposed a meticulously planned cross-border marriage fraud, in which two Chinese men were swindled out of a combined 300,000 yuan (about USD 41,000) in matchmaking fees and dowries.

On August 6, the People's Mediation Committee of the 143rd Detachment of Chongqing Immigration Inspection handled the unusual case. Mr. Xie, a Chinese national, was entering the country with his foreign "girlfriend" when her passport suddenly went missing during immigration clearance. Officer Liu Chengchao said immigration police immediately contacted the airline, escorted the pair back to the aircraft, boarding bridge, and restrooms to search, but the document was nowhere to be found.

What puzzled officers was the woman's calm demeanor—unlike most travelers who lose a passport—and the lack of intimacy between her and Mr. Xie, despite his apparent anxiety. Traveling alongside them was Mr. Xie's younger brother, also accompanied by a foreign "girlfriend." All four were taken to an investigation area for further questioning.

Mr. Xie told police that both he and his brother had spent years working away from home and struggled to find spouses. A fellow villager introduced them to an overseas matchmaking service promising cross-border marriages. The brothers traveled abroad to meet prospective partners, paying a total of 300,000 yuan in agency fees and dowries, and planned to bring the women back to China to wed.

However, immigration officers, using a copy of the missing passport, discovered that the woman had entered China months earlier through Shandong Province with a different passport and a different name—clear evidence of an identity change. Reviewing her travel records, police contacted a Chinese man who had accompanied her during that earlier entry. He claimed she was his wife, whom he had also met through a matchmaking agency, and that she had disappeared just over 10 days after their wedding.

Mr. Xie further revealed that before boarding, his "girlfriend" had asked him to transfer part of the promised dowry to an account belonging to her "sister," heightening police suspicion. The Chongqing Immigration Inspection Station reported the matter to Shandong police. A joint investigation confirmed the woman had orchestrated a marriage scam—deliberately discarding her passport to conceal her past marriage and to create the appearance of being denied entry, thereby facilitating her escape.

Peng Chunyan, deputy head of the Chongqing Immigration Inspection Division, said the case has been referred to local public security authorities, who have helped the two victims recover part of their financial losses. The two women suspected of marriage fraud have been barred from entering China. Should they attempt re-entry in the future, they will face stricter scrutiny and a negative immigration record.