India, June 10 -- A former Air Canada captain is facing criminal charges after allegedly flying tens of thousands of passengers over nearly 17 years using a fraudulent pilot's licence, according to Canadian authorities.

A former Air Canada captain is facing criminal charges after allegedly flying tens of thousands of passengers over nearly 17 years using a fraudulent pilot's licence, according to Canadian authorities.

He has been identified as Geoffrey Wall, who was arrested on June 1.

He has been charged with the offences, including fraud over $5,000, uttering forged documents, possession of counterfeit marks, and public mischief.

"The subsequent police investigation revealed that the accused allegedly used fraudulent pilot licences ...