BI intercepts Vietnamese woman wanted by Interpol for drug raps

A 25-year-old Vietnamese woman wanted for drug-related offenses was intercepted upon her arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 last week, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said.

In a statement, the BI said the passenger arrived from Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Wednesday, April 29.

The agency confirmed that she is the subject of an active Interpol Red Notice for allegedly facilitating the illegal use of narcotic substances in 2022.

The National Central Bureau in Hanoi was immediately informed of her interception, while the Vietnamese Embassy in Manila formally requested her return to Vietnam to face prosecution.

She was excluded and boarded a flight to Hanoi on Thursday morning, April 30.

The BI has blacklisted the Vietnamese woman to bar her from re-entering the Philippines.

“Our borders will not serve as refuge for fugitives. This case highlights our strong coordination with INTERPOL and our foreign counterparts to ensure that individuals attempting to evade justice are intercepted and held accountable,” BI commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said. — JMA, GMA News