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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider BI expresses concern over surge of fake travel documents

BI expresses concern over surge of fake travel documents

Published May 27, 2023 02:43 am
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has raised alarm over the significant rise in cases involving the use of counterfeit documents by individuals attempting to travel abroad. In the past week, the BI has encountered multiple instances at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) where individuals were apprehended for presenting fraudulent documents. One incident occurred on May 21 when a male passenger en route to Bangkok, Thailand, was intercepted with a valid Malta visa with the word "CANCEL" stamped on it. Officers doubted the authenticity of the visa annotation and subsequent interviews revealed that the individual had been instructed to pose as a tourist with Malta as his actual destination where he had been recruited with the assistance of a relative. The following day, two female victims were detained while attempting to travel to Dubai. Despite their intention to seek employment in Dubai, they presented counterfeit Kingdom of Saudi Arabia re-entry visas. One of the victims confessed to meeting a recruiter on Facebook who had provided them with the forged documents just outside the airport prior to their departure. On May 23, the BI apprehended two female passengers bound for Poland with counterfeit overseas employment certificates (OECs), which they had obtained through Facebook and paid online P500.

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