3 Indians caught with fake visas at NAIA

Immigration officers intercepted three Indian nationals who were caught using fake Philippine visas at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last Friday.

Sumit Gupta, 19 and Pratik  Jayeshkumar, 18, who arrived via a Cathay Pacific flight, were prevented from entering the country.

Both were deported after immigration inspectors confirmed that the Philippine visas stamped on their passports were bogus.

NAIA immigration department head supervisor Ferdinand Sampol said his men are keeping a tight watch on passengers with fake travel documents after a series of recent interceptions.

Late last month, three Chinese nationals who allegedly tried to exit the country using fake visas and passports were arrested.

Zhu Benqing, Chen Wei, and Cai Ping Wei were slapped with appropriate criminal charges before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office.

They were collared with the help of Migration Compliance and Monitoring Group (MCMG) operatives, headed by Cloduaido Penera, and the Airport Police Department (APD).

Sampol said Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan ordered for the immediate detention of all three Chinese nationals and continued vigilance in monitoring passengers who try to enter and exit the country using fraudulent travel documents.

Prior to that, immigration officers also arrested three Filipinos who tried to use fake Australian visas to get past NAIA’s immigration counters.

Rodrigo Almazan of Bangued, Abra; Napony Abenol of Macauleon, Quezon; and Ramie Samson, 26, of Singlang, Bacolod City were collared after an airline director of Royal Brunei checked the travel documents they were carrying.

Sampol said all three were found to be sporting fake Australian tourist visas after immigration officers thoroughly examined their respective travel documents.

Sampol assured that NAIA immigration officers use updated equipment such as an anti-fraud laboratory and portable ultraviolet light devices and magnifying glasses to detect fake travel documents.