A 32-year-old Filipina was stopped from taking her flight at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after she was caught with a fake departure stamp she bought for P65,000, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
“The victim arrived at the counter with her passport, which had a counterfeit departure stamp impressed on it, attempting to convince the officer that she had completed the immigration departure procedures,” said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado in a statement.
“She initially claimed to be a solo tourist in Vietnam for leisure,” Viado said.
He also said tht the Filipina, whose identity has been withheld in compliance with anti-trafficking laws, has been turned over to the custody of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance in the filing of cases against her recruiters.
“A forensic analysis by the BI's document laboratory confirmed that the presented stamp was counterfeit,” the BI said.
It said the woman was intercepted last Oct. 11 at the NAIA Terminal 3 before she could board a flight to Vietnam.
“Immigration officers directed the victim for further inspection after observing the questionable departure stamp on her passport,” it also said.
During the interview, the bureau said “the victim revealed her travel plans, which included a trip to Thailand after her stay in Vietnam.”
“She intended to apply for an entry visa to Egypt, lured by the promise of an easy approval process,” it said.
“The victim disclosed that recruiters initially demanded P80,000 for a counterfeit stamp to aid her departure, but she negotiated it down to P65,000,” it added