Alleged attempt to smuggle 4 foreigners into UK from PH busted by BI at Naia | Inquirer News

Alleged attempt to smuggle 4 foreigners into UK from PH busted by BI at Naia

/ 02:56 PM December 08, 2022

The Bureau of Immigration foils an attempt to smuggle four Arabs at the NAIA

The Bureau of Immigration logo is superimposed over the airport scene. INQUIRER.net FILES

MANILA, Philippines — Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers have stopped an alleged attempt to smuggle a family of four suspected Arab nationals out of the Philippines to the United Kingdom (UK) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).

A mother and her three children were halted at the Naia Terminal 3 as they attempted to board a Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong en route to their final destination in the UK, according to BI.

Article continues after this advertisement

The family presented Seychelles passports to the airlines and immigration officers, who then questioned the authenticity of the travel documents.

FEATURED STORIES

READ: MIAA probes fake airport passes used for human trafficking

Detailed analysis by the BI’s forensic documents laboratory confirmed that the travel documents were counterfeit.

Article continues after this advertisement

“They are now undergoing investigation by our legal division after which they will be sent back for using spurious immigration documents,” BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a statement released by the Office of the Press Secretary on Thursday.

Article continues after this advertisement

“It is apparent that the foiled human trafficking try was the handiwork of an international syndicate that attempts to use Manila as a transit or jump-off point for its victims,” he added.

Article continues after this advertisement

Later, BI personnel also found that the foreigners’ UK national identity cards were fake.

BI port operations chief, Attorney Carlos Capulong, said the passengers arrived in Manila last November 6 and stayed in the country for more than two weeks before booking their outbound flight.

Article continues after this advertisement

“Until now, we are still trying to ascertain their true nationality as there is difficulty getting information from them,” Capulong said.

RELATED STORY

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

Immigration officers foil human smuggling try at NAIA 3

KGA/abc
TAGS:

No tags found for this post.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.