A woman was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for allegedly selling fake immigration clearances to foreign nationals for nearly P1 million, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Friday.
The suspect was caught demanding P850,000 in exchange for a fraudulent “clearance” and threatening deportation if the victim refused to pay. She was intercepted on the evening of June 13 at the Departure East area of NAIA Terminal 1 by the Airport Police Department (APD).
The BI said the woman had attempted to convince an excluded passenger — a foreign national previously deemed inadmissible — to pay for expedited clearance. Excluded passengers are typically barred from entry due to criminal records, documentation issues, or other violations.
“We have received previous reports of alleged airport personnel approaching excluded travelers and claiming they can reverse or bypass exclusion orders for a fee… Such offers are fraudulent and place national security at risk,” said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado.
“Any person offering ‘clearance services’ for money is impersonating authority and must not be trusted… They should be reported immediately to airport officials,” Viado added. He commended the APD for its swift response and emphasized the importance of inter-agency cooperation.
The BI said an internal investigation is ongoing to determine if others are involved in the scheme.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Woman arrested for selling fake immigration clearance to foreigners for nearly P1M”
