The Bureau of Immigration (BI) recently prevented three overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from departing the country after discovering that their passports contained altered visas.
According to a PNA report, the interception occurred at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City, just before the victims could board a Cebu Pacific Airlines flight to Dubai on June 10. This was reported by the BI’s immigration protection and border enforcement section (I-PROBES).
According to I-PROBES personnel who interviewed the victims, the three individuals claimed they had been recruited to work as cleaners in Dubai and presented employment documents to back their claims. However, upon inspection, it was found that their United Arab Emirates (UAE) employment visas had been tampered with, raising suspicions of fraudulent activity.
Further investigation revealed that the victims were unaware of the tampered visas and appeared to have been deceived by a recruitment agency. The case has since been referred to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for a more detailed investigation.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco urged aspiring OFWs to be vigilant in verifying the authenticity of their documents. “Be wary of any agency or individual promising expedited or guaranteed visa processing, as this could be a red flag for potential fraud or exploitation,” he cautioned.