Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 intercepted a Filipina suspected of being a victim of a mail-order-bride scheme.
With the country strengthening its stand against human trafficking under President Marcos’ directive, Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado shared the interception of a 41-year-old Filipina woman who was being escorted by a 52-year-old Moroccan man.
The identities of the victim and the suspect are withheld in compliance with anti-trafficking laws.
The female victim initially claimed she was traveling to Morocco via transit through the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) together with her alleged husband on the late evening of June 29 at the NAIA Terminal 1.
However, officers found numerous inconsistencies in their statements. “Upon separate questioning, both individuals appeared evasive and suspicious when asked about details of their travel,” said Viado.
The two presented a marriage certificate, insisting that they are married. However, details in the said certificate remained inconsistent, prompting officers to refer it for forensic document checks.
The BI’s anti-fraud section’s forensic documents laboratory confirmed that the document presented was indeed counterfeit.
Officers immediately turned over the duo to the inter-agency council against trafficking (IACAT) after they were found presenting a falsified document.
“We will not tolerate the use of fake or falsified documents being used in trafficking efforts,” said Viado. “Individuals caught using fake documents shall face the harshest penalty of law,” he added.
