BI intercepts female OFW with fake passport

Officers from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport reported on Friday that they had intercepted a female overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who was traveling with a passport that had been obtained fraudulently.

According to the BI-NAIA, the female OFW, whose name was withheld in compliance with local trafficking laws, was intercepted on 17 September at NAIA Terminal 1 after attempting to depart the country on board a Philippine Airlines flight bound for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The said woman presented a passport showing that she was 30 years old and was bound for the Middle Eastern country to work as a housemaid. However, the immigration officers noted numerous inconsistencies, and she was referred for further inspection.

She eventually acknowledged during the secondary examination that she had taken on the persona of her cousin and disclosed her true name and age. She admitted that she was only 20 years old and born in 2003. She was immediately referred to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for further investigation, while her passport was forwarded to the Department of Foreign Affairs for appropriate action and cancellation of her passport.