The Philippines is bolstering its border security as human trafficking syndicates employ increasingly sophisticated methods, prompting a surge in the use of counterfeit travel documents, authorities said.

This comes after the Commission on Filipinos Overseas recently issued a public advisory following reports of fake CFO certificates, falsified employment contracts, and forged overseas work permits used to bypass immigration checks and smuggle trafficking victims abroad.

It also urged Filipinos planning to travel or work overseas to remain vigilant and use only legitimate channels.

Authorities have recently intercepted several attempts to circumvent border protocols. These include travelers posing as church missionaries who were later discovered to have been recruited for illegal jobs abroad.

Others were apprehended with forged employment documents en route to the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

In a separate incident in Cebu, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested Chinese national Wang Chaoxin and four others on 14 May for violating immigration and labor laws. Wang allegedly used a false identity to obtain a Philippine driver’s license and birth certificate and subsequently registered a trading company under that name.

Three of the arrested individuals possessed valid work visas but were employed by companies other than their declared sponsors. The fourth was working without a permit.

BI commissioner Joel Anthony Viado credited coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the National Bureau of Investigation for the successful operation through timely intelligence sharing.

In response to the increase in document fraud, the BI has increased inspections at airports and seaports, reporting a growing number of attempts involving altered passports and fake work documents.