A WOMAN trafficking victim was intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) by Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers who found her passport stamped with fake immigration stamps.
“It’s alarming to observe that this scheme remains widespread. While these offers might seem enticing to unsuspecting victims, any assurance of success with minimal effort should raise immediate red flags,” said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado, adding that the victim has been turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance in filing cases against her recruiters.
Viado stated that the interception occurred last October 27 at the NAIA Terminal 3 as the 46-year-old female victim, whose identity is withheld in compliance with anti-trafficking laws, was supposed to board an AirAsia flight to Macau.
Before being intercepted at the BI’s primary inspection counter, the victim initially presented herself as a former Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) traveling to Macau for leisure as a tourist but later admitted that she intended to work in Macau again, without the proper documentation.
The victim revealed that she was promised easy immigration and document assistance through Facebook, unaware that it involved affixing a fake departure stamp on her passport.
The traffickers reportedly charged a fee of P40,000 for the supposed escorting services, which turned out to be a scam. The BI’s forensic documents laboratory confirmed that the stamp presented was indeed counterfeit.
Meanwhile, Viado expressed concern and urged aspiring overseas workers to be wary of fraudulent immigration assistance promising quick solutions.
