Two returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were apprehended at separate Philippine airports this month after authorities discovered they had outstanding arrest warrants. Meanwhile, airport personnel at NAIA thwarted an attempt to smuggle over a million pesos in undeclared cash bound for Hong Kong.
On July 13, a male OFW who had been living abroad for more than ten years was arrested at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 after arriving from Istanbul, Turkey. The Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group (Avsegroup) confirmed that Bureau of Immigration officers flagged the passenger during routine checks. Authorities found he had an outstanding warrant issued in 2014 for theft. He is now under the custody of the Pasay City Police Station.
Two days earlier, on July 11, a 42-year-old female OFW from Dumalag, Capiz, was also arrested upon her arrival at Iloilo International Airport from Singapore. Immigration officers found that she had a pending warrant of arrest for estafa, issued by the Regional Trial Court in Capiz. She was brought to Ramon Memorial District Hospital for a medical examination before being transferred to the Cabatuan Municipal Police Station for booking and temporary detention.
In another incident, airport authorities intercepted P1.2 million in undeclared cash at NAIA Terminal 3 on July 12. The money was found inside the trolley bag of a 61-year-old passenger who was set to board a flight to Hong Kong. According to aviation police, screening officers from the Office for Transportation Security detected the stacks of currency during inspection. The undeclared amount was later subjected to manual verification in front of the passenger by Customs personnel.
