Bureau of Immigration foils human smuggling attempt at NAIA

Bureau of Immigration (BI) personnel have foiled a human smuggling attempt of foreigners believed to be Iranians at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1.

The BI Port Operations Division said the foreigners arrived from Bangkok on Sunday via a Thai Airways flight using fake Belgium passports.

The apprehended passengers were identified as Masoomeh Javidialsaadi, Parsa Javidialsaadi, both males; and a female with the same surname.

The interception came weeks after the BI border control and intelligence unit (BCIU) ordered the deployment of undercover agents who will monitor all arriving foreign transit passengers.

BI POD chief Marc Red Mariñas said the BCIU personnel were also told to closely scrutinize the travel papers of all transit passengers before they are escorted to the departure gate and made to board connecting flights to their final destinations.

"As standard operating procedure, foreigners transiting at the NAIA are escorted by BCIU personnel to the boarding gates where they are turned over to the concerned airlines of their connecting flight," the BI said.