Woman travelling to Hong Kong for 'ukay-ukay, pasabuy business' held at NAIA
A woman who claimed she was going to Hong Kong to buy items for her “ukay-ukay” and “pasabuy” business was prevented from leaving the country after admitting she intended to work in Europe, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Tuesday, Nov. 7.
The BI said in a statement that the woman, whose identity was withheld, was intercepted on Monday, Nov. 6, at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 before she could board her flight to Hong Kong.
"Ukay-ukay" business involves the selling of used clothes, while "Pasabuy" is buying items from sellers and distributors on request of customers.
The BI said "she claimed to be working in a local apparel company and presented a certificate of employment purportedly issued by her workplace."
Immigration officers noted numerous inconsistencies in her travel, hence she was flagged for secondary inspection,” it also said.
During inspection, BI said “she admitted that her travel documents were just sent to her via Facebook Messenger, and that she presented fake work documents.”
It said: “Her passport was found to have a Malta employment visa, despite her initial claim that she is departing for tourism purposes. She later said that she was offered to work illegally as a caregiver in Malta through a job hunting website."