FOR passing themselves off as Costa Rican nationals, two Chinese nationals were barred from leaving by Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado identified the two passengers as Wang Songyi, 54 and Liao Fudi, 50. They were intercepted at the NAIA terminal 1 last October 19 before they could depart aboard a Philippine Airlines flight bound for Kuala Lumpur.
It was learned that both aliens have been turned over to personnel of the BI’s border control and intelligence unit (BCIU) and later brought to the BI detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.
BI-BCIU chief Ferdinand Tendenilla said they were also charged with deportation cases after undergoing preliminary investigation at the BI’s head office.
“Investigation revealed that the passengers intended to proceed to Canada where they planned to use their Costa Rican passports to evade and circumvent Canada’s entry visa requirements for Chinese nationals,” Viado said.
The BI chief commended the BI officers responsible for preventing the departure of the Chinese nationals, thus foiling a scheme to facilitate the illegal entry of two illegal aliens into North America.
It was reported that the scheme was thwarted after BI officers who processed the two passengers noticed irregularities in the Costa Rica passports they presented. Said passports had Philippine immigration arrival stamps which were found as counterfeit by the BI’s forensic documents laboratory.
It was learned that the duo was also unable to speak in Spanish, the language in Costa Rica and when pressed during interview to reveal their true nationality, both surrendered their Chinese passports which were found to contain fake BI arrival stamps.
