By Jun Ramirez
Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers have intercepted four Chinese nationals at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for attempting to enter the country with fake Paraguayan passports.
(ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
The BI’s travel control and enforcement unit (TCEU) said the aliens were nabbed at the NAIA terminal 3 last November 18 when they arrived aboard an Emirates Airways flight from Dubai.
They were identified as Chen Zhijian, Wang Wenjie, Wang Anding, and Wang Mingdi, all male and in their 30s.
It was learned that upon presentation of the Paraguayan passports, immigration officers Delfin Almeda and Gerard Teaño became suspicious and noted several red flags.
“Upon interview, all four were unable to converse even in basic Spanish, which is the language used in Paraguay, which strengthened our doubt,” reported BI TCEU member Kate Martinez who conducted the assessment of the passengers.
Examinations conducted by the BI’s forensic documents laboratory confirmed that travel papers were all counterfeit.
Martinez reported that the passengers later confessed their true nationality and surrendered the Chinese passports which were hidden in their luggage.
BI TCEU chief Ma. Timotea Barizo said the four aliens were immediately issued exclusion orders and booked on the first available flight to their port of origin.
“All four shall be included in the BI’s blacklist to prevent them from re-entering the Philippines,” Barizo added.