5 teenage girls bound for Riyadh intercepted

Immigration officials at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport stopped five teenage girls from leaving after they were found to have used falsified documents in a bid to work abroad.

The trafficking victims’ names were withheld.

The minors tried to board a flight to Riyadh when they were intercepted on Monday, according to Red Marinas, deputy immigration commissioner in charge of port operations.

“This is a clear case of human trafficking,” Marinas said.

While the teenagers had valid overseas employment certificates and working contracts and visas, Marinas said “they used falsified documents to acquire them.”

“They were evasive and gave inconsistent answers when asked about their age and date of birth,” Marinas said. —Tina G. Santos