Philippines – A 28-year-old man headed for Malaysia never made it past immigration at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on the evening of October 7. Officers stopped him after discovering that the departure stamp on his passport was fake. He had been trying to skip primary inspection entirely.
According to a press release from the Bureau of Immigration (BI), the case is now being treated as a possible trafficking and illegal recruitment scheme. Authorities are looking into how he was recruited and who was behind it.
A Stamp That Didn’t Look Right
The passenger first approached a primary inspector and said he had already completed his departure formalities. The inspector noticed something off about the stamp on his passport and referred him to the BI’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) for secondary inspection.
“The passenger claimed that he had already completed his departure formalities and presented himself as a tourist bound for Malaysia,” said I-PROBES Chief Leni Maminta.
The Story Behind the Fake Stamp
Under questioning, the passenger described an arrangement that started online and ended inside the airport:
- Telegram contact: Someone on Telegram promised to help him with immigration procedures and travel documents.
- Handoff inside NAIA: A supposed contact met him inside Terminal 3. This person took his passport and boarding pass, then returned them with the fake departure stamp already on the passport.
- A job waiting abroad: He said he had been recruited for a customer service representative (CSR) job. A foreign national interviewed him before his trip.
- No fee asked: The people involved reportedly did not ask for any payment to return his documents.
He told officers he did not know the “assistance” involved a counterfeit stamp.
Lab Confirms Counterfeit
The BI Forensic Documents Laboratory examined the passport and confirmed that the departure stamp was not genuine.
BI Chief Issues Warning
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado raised concern over the scheme. He reminded the public to be careful with unauthorized people offering immigration help or jobs overseas.
“We urge the public to remain vigilant when considering overseas job offers facilitated by unauthorized individuals. Such arrangements may expose applicants to human trafficking, illegal recruitment, or other forms of exploitation,” Viado said.
Case Now With IACAT
The passenger has been turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT). The council will provide him with assistance and investigate his recruitment and travel. It will also look into possible violations by the people who arranged his trip.
For kababayans already working abroad, and for family back home weighing a job offer, this case is a sharp reminder. A smooth “shortcut” through immigration offered by a stranger online is a serious warning sign. Never hand your passport to a stranger at the airport, and only go through legitimate channels.