A Senegalese woman who attempted to leave for Europe with a fictitious Schengen visa was recently stopped by BI officers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, according to a report from the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the intercepted passenger as Binetou Dieng, a 23-year-old, who was stopped from leaving the country on Monday night at NAIA Terminal 1.

According to Tansingco, Dieng attempted to board her flight via Eva Air flight bound for Taipei while en route to her final destination in Milan, Italy, when she was subjected to secondary inspection by the duty immigration supervisors, who were tipped that she was in possession of counterfeit travel documents.

The BI chief said that Dieng has now been detained at the BI Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, pending deportation proceedings. Her name was also included on the BI blacklist to prevent her from re-entering the country. 

“We suspect that this woman’s trip was facilitated by a syndicate engaged in the trafficking of Africans to Europe. We learned that she just arrived from the Middle East two days ago with a companion whom we suspect is a courier for the syndicate,” Tansingco said. 

Following the referral of Dieng's case by Eva Air personnel, the BI supervisors said they subjected Dieng to further questioning.

The airline staff informed immigration that they were advised to search for the forged document by their Dutch counterparts.

Subsequent examination by the BI anti-fraud section confirmed that both the Schengen visa and identity card presented by the passenger were fake. 

The Bureau commends the alert airline personnel who proactively alerted immigration to the fraud. 

Tansingco also stated that alert and well-trained airline staff are essential partners for immigration in combatting attempts at fraud and illegal travel.