The Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported an incident where a Filipino woman, using fraudulent documents and claiming to be married to someone in Oman, was apprehended by immigration officers.
The Filipina stated that she intended to visit her husband in Oman, but it was later revealed that all the documents she provided were fake.
The BI noted that the woman was fully aware that her documents were counterfeit and had paid over P30,000 to obtain them. Authorities suspect that these documents were meant for illegal overseas employment.
Upon investigation, it was determined that the marriage certificate she presented was forged, along with the affidavit of support from her supposedly non-existent husband. Furthermore, the BI’s immigration protection and border enforcement section found that she even presented an altered wedding photograph.
According to an incident report from the bureau, the woman had been convinced to use these illegal services based on the purported success stories of other clients of her recruiter.
Her interception at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on October 19 followed a previous incident where her departure was delayed due to the use of fake travel documents.
The BI also revealed that her travel history indicated a recent attempt to leave for Malaysia in September, but she was prevented from doing so because of improper documents.
The Filipina’s case was referred to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for the filing of charges against her recruiter, as stated by the BI.
The bureau issued a warning to travelers, advising them to be cautious and avoid falling victim to recruiters offering fake documents.
