BI halts illegal recruitment attempt at NAIA 3

Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers intercepted a 28-year-old man at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after he attempted to bypass border control using a passport stamped with a counterfeit departure seal.

The passenger, who was scheduled to board a flight to Malaysia as a tourist, was flagged at primary inspection in NAIA Terminal 3 and referred to the BI’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) for secondary screening.

“The passenger claimed that he had already completed his departure formalities and presented himself as a tourist bound for Malaysia,” I-PROBES chief Leni Maminta said in a statement.

During questioning, the passenger told investigators that an unknown contact inside the terminal took his passport and boarding pass before returning them with the fake departure stamp.

The traveler revealed that the arrangement was made over the messaging application Telegram, where he was promised assistance with travel documents and immigration clearance.

He added that he had been recruited for a customer service job and interviewed online by a foreign national prior to his departure.

The passenger claimed he was unaware the stamp was fraudulent and said he was not charged money when his documents were returned inside the airport.