WA: A small passport detail saw a prominent lawyer arrested in Bali while trying to go on vacation

A very small detail in the passport of a prominent Western Australian lawyer led to his arrest in Bali immediately after arriving on the Indonesian tourist island.

John Hammond was flying into Ngurah Rai International Airport on Sunday and was going through the immigration process when suddenly a problem with his passport was discovered.

Perth radio station 6PR received a tip on its breakfast show rumor file that Mr Hammond was using an expired or nearly expired passport.

Attorney John Hammond (pictured) had just flown to Bali and was going through the immigration process when a problem with his passport was suddenly discovered

But rather than simply relying on what someone else had said, hosts Steve Mills and Karl Langdon went straight to the source – they called Mr Hammond.

After assuring them that he was not being held in Kerobokan or any other prison in Bali, the lawyer explained what had happened.

“I was driven into the bowels of Denpasar Airport when I was told that my passport might be fake.

“It had a small tear the size of a thumb nail and I think that’s why I was held by security at the back of the airport,” he said.

An Australian lawyer’s damaged passport caused problems for him when he arrived in Bali. Pictured is a woman rowing a traditional boat to Ulun Danu Bratan Temple in Bali

Given the fate of Australians like convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby in Bali – nine years in Kerobokan – Mr Hammock was fortunate to have been detained for a relatively minor incident.

“I had to read a statement acknowledging that my passport was of poor quality and/or a fake,” he told 6PR.

As any good lawyer would do, Mr Hammond said he was “trying to impress the customs officer by saying I’m a lawyer and I wouldn’t do anything like that”.

He couldn’t resist trying his hand at an Australian budget airline as he continued.

“They overdid sending me back on the next plane – if it had been Jetstar I would have waited another four hours – but let’s leave that aside,” he said.

A simple detail in his passport led to Perth man John Hammond being detained after arriving in Bali

Mr Hammond was eventually fired after he was “required to sign a statement stating that I would never return to Bali with such a passport”.

With that, he was able to leave and is still in Bali three days later, which didn’t look safe after arriving with a torn passport.

The radio hosts told him he had better say something nice in case the Balinese authorities were listening

“If I’m arrested on the (6PR) rumor file, I’ll let you know,” Mr. Hammond said wryly.

Passport damages and the law

Normal wear and tear on your passport should not be a problem. Major damage can prevent you from traveling.

A Qantas plane takes off from the Indonesian holiday island of Bali

If you are unsure about the condition of your passport, call the Australian Passport Office on 131 232 or contact your nearest Australian embassy or consulate abroad.

It is important, that:

• There are no tears or cuts in the passport pages, especially the photo page
• Everything on the photo page is legible and clear
• There are no marks on your photo or in the machine readable zone on the photo page
• No pages have been removed
• there is no alteration or manipulation

They may need to see your passport to assess it.

Source: Australian government

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk