A 32-year-old woman believed to be a victim of a fake departure stamp scheme was barred at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 last October 11 by Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the woman, whose name was withheld in compliance with anti-trafficking laws, was supposed to board a Cebu Pacific Airlines flight to Vietnam but did not manage to get past the BI’s primary inspection. She was turned over to the custody of the Inter-Agency Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance in filing cases against her recruiters.
“The victim arrived at the counter with her passport, which had a counterfeit departure stamp impressed on it, attempting to convince the officer that she had completed the immigration departure procedures. She initially claimed to be a solo tourist in Vietnam for leisure,” said Viado.
Immigration officers directed the victim for further inspection after observing the questionable departure stamp on her passport and during the interview, the victim revealed her travel plans, which included a trip to Thailand after her stay in Vietnam. She intended to apply for an entry visa to Egypt, lured by the promise of an easy approval process.
The victim disclosed that recruiters initially demanded Php 80,000 for a counterfeit stamp to aid her departure, but she negotiated it down to P65,000.
A forensic analysis by the BI’s document laboratory confirmed that the presented stamp was counterfeit.
“It’s significant to note that in the previous cases, the syndicates charged a hefty processing fee in exchange for false assurances that they would be able to pass through immigration without issues, said Viado.
