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BI nabs alien with fake PH passport before boarding private jet

Philippines | National

BI nabs alien with fake PH passport before boarding private jet

By Jun Ramirez

Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has intercepted a Chinese national who attempted to leave the country via a private jet using a fake Philippine passport, it announced on Friday, April 1.

Bureau of Immigration

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the Chinese man, who initially presented himself as Mark Anthony Cobeng, 33, was arrested last Tuesday before boarding his flight to Maldives, a popular tourist destination in the Indian Ocean.

The BI chief said immigration officer Lourdes Mercado initially noticed discrepancies in the biopage of the passport which appeared to be counterfeit.

"Upon seeing irregularities in the travel document, the officer proceeded to interview the passenger, discovering that he can't speak even basic Filipino words," said Morente.

Morente said that the foreigner was in the company of another Chinese national who voluntarily deferred his flight.

Morente warned travelers that Philippine passport contains a number of overt security features that immigration officers are trained to examine.

He added that the agency has a forensic documents laboratory that can analyze the authenticity of passports presented.

Cobeng was turned over to the BI's legal division for deportation proceedings.

Related Tags

4012022 alien bureau of immigration

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