THE Airport Police Department (APD) was lauded and thanked by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for the arrest of an individual caught offering unauthorized immigration “clearance” services to foreign nationals previously found inadmissible.
It was learned from BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval that the female suspect was intercepted by the APD on the evening of June 13 at the Departure East area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1, after attempting to persuade an excluded passenger to pay for expedited clearance.
Prior to this, Sandoval said the bureau received previous reports of alleged airport personnel approaching excluded travelers and claiming they can reverse or bypass exclusion orders for a fee, adding that such offers are fraudulent and place national security at risk.
Sandoval said excluded passengers are foreign nationals found to be inadmissible due to criminal history, invalid documentation or other violations and upon exclusion, foreign nationals are turned over directly to their respective airlines and must be boarded on the next available flight back to their country of origin, following strict immigration protocols.
Any person offering ‘clearance services’ for money is impersonating authority and must not be trusted and should be reported immediately to airport officials,” the BI said.
Allegedly, the suspect demanded P850,000 in exchange for the clearance, threatening the victim deportation if the money was not paid.
The BI reminded the public and travelers to remain vigilant and avoid falling prey to impostors promising illegal shortcuts, even as it issued a statement commending the Airport Police for its swift action in thwarting the said scheme.
Meanwhile, an internal investigation is ongoing to determine if the operation involves additional individuals or accomplices, Sandoval said.
