BI intercepts ‘fake’ Pinoys, wanted Korean

Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 intercepted two female passengers suspected of being fake Filipinos and a wanted South Korean national.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the two, identified only as Dianne and Myla, attempted to depart the country on a Cathay Pacific flight to Beijing last 10 July.

The officers noticed that neither passenger could speak any Filipino language, raising suspicions about their identities.

Dianne, 61, presented a birth certificate and a valid Philippine passport but had inconsistent statements about her identity.

Myla, who presented a UMID ID, a valid Philippine driver’s license, and a Philippine passport, admitted acquiring her documents through an online contact.

The BI suspected both passengers were Chinese nationals.

In a separate incident on 8 July, BI officers arrested South Korean national Choi Injoon, 47, who is wanted by Interpol. Choi attempted to depart the country on a Cebu Pacific flight to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Choi is wanted for illegal gaming in Korea, where he allegedly ran multiple online gambling sites and profited from hacking and manipulating online gambling matches.

He will be deported to Korea as soon as the order for summary deportation is issued.

All three passengers were detained at the BI Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, while facing immigration deportation charges and will be included in the BI Blacklist.