BI intercepts 4 passengers posing as 'officemates'

Four individuals using counterfeit documents supplied by an illegal travel agency were intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 on Wednesday.

In a statement released Friday, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) revealed that the four passengers initially claimed they were officemates traveling to Hong Kong.

However, during a secondary inspection, they admitted they were not officemates but were intending to work abroad as entertainers. They had presented falsified documents to appear as legitimate tourists.

“We suspect that they are being sent to work as entertainers abroad. They admitted paying P30,000 to their travel agency who provided fraudulent stories and documents for them,” said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado.

Viado further disclosed that all four individuals had histories of illegal work overseas, with one victim admitting to previously traveling illegally by boat to evade immigration inspections.

“Tourist workers are tricked by their recruiters to present fraudulent documents or travel via illegal means just to be exploited abroad,” she added.

The victims have been turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for further assistance and support. — DVM, GMA Integrated News