BI intercepts woman with fake departure stamp

The Bureau of Immigration intercepted a woman who presented a fake departure stamp at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on October 11.

According to a statement on Tuesday, the 32-year-old woman bound for Vietnam was referred for further inspection due to the questionable departure stamp on her passport.

“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 BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado.

The woman eventually revealed that she paid P65,000, initially priced at P80,000, for her counterfeit stamp.

She planned to go to Thailand after her stay in Vietnam and apply for an entry visa to Egypt.

“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,” the BI said.

The woman was turned over to Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), which will assist her in the filing of a complaint against her recruiters. — Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News