THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday expressed its concern about the alarming increase in cases involving the use of counterfeit or “fake” documents by individuals attempting to travel abroad.

In the past week, the BI has encountered several cases at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), wherein individuals were accosted after presenting fraudulent documents.

On May 21, a male passenger bound for Bangkok, Thailand, was intercepted at the NAIA Terminal 3. The recruitment victim initially claimed that he was a “tourist,” but a thorough examination of his passport revealed a valid Malta Visa with the word “CANCELL” written on it.

Officers doubted the annotation on his visa, and interviews revealed that he had been instructed to pose as a tourist, and he was indeed bound for Malta, where he was recruited with the help of a relative.

The following day, two female victims were interviewed at the NAIA Terminal 1 while attempting to travel to Dubai. They presented counterfeit Kingdom of Saudi Arabia re-entry visas, despite their actual intention to seek employment in Dubai.

One of the victims disclosed that she had met a “recruiter” on Facebook, who provided them with the alleged forged documents just outside the airport before their departure.

On May 23, the BI intercepted two female passengers bound for Poland at the NAIA Terminal 1. These individuals were caught presenting counterfeit overseas employment certificates (OECs), which they had acquired through Facebook.

It was revealed that they had paid P500 online for the fake documents.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said he is both concerned and frustrated by the proliferation of fake documents.

“These syndicates are issuing fake documents and sweet-talk our kababayans into agreeing to their illegal schemes,” said the BI chief.

“Never agree to these kinds of arrangements, and only apply through the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW),” he added.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Jun I. Legaspi