Suspected mail-order-bride victim intercepted at NAIA
A suspected victim of the mail-order-bride scheme has been intercepted by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) as the country tightens its fight against human trafficking.
Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado said that intercepted last June 29 was a 41-year-old Filipina woman who was being escorted by a 52-year-old Moroccan man. Their identities were withheld.
The BI said that the woman initially claimed she was traveling to Morocco via transit through the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) together with her alleged husband. However, officers were on alert after spotting numerous inconsistencies in their statements.
When questioned, the BI said the woman and the Moroccan man appeared evasive and suspicious when asked about the details of their travel.
They presented a marriage certificate but the BI said the details in the certificate were inconsistent. The document was presented for forensic tests.
The BI’s anti-fraud section’s forensic documents laboratory was able to confirm that the document presented was indeed counterfeit. The two were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).
Viado said: “We will not tolerate the use of fake or falsified documents being used in trafficking efforts. Individuals caught using fake documents shall face the harshest penalty of law.”