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Friday, March 29, 2024

Immigration agents nab Korean posing as Pinoy at NAIA

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Immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport apprehended a “fake Filipino” who turned out be an overstaying Korean national who tried to leave the country by using a Philippine passport.

The Korean was identified as Kwak Dong Hee who was stopped at the departure area of the NAIA 3 terminal as he was about to board a Cebu Pacific flight to Saigon, Vietnam.

Kwak spent New Year behind bars at the BI Detention Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig where he remains detained pending his deportation.

BI Port Operations Division chief Grifton Medina said Kwak assumed the name of one Erik Nacis, purportedly born to a Korean man and a Filipina in Meycauayan, Bulacan in 1992.

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However, the immigration officer who processed him became suspicious after noticing he could not speak Filipino and had trouble communicating in any local dialect.

“It was during questioning that he admitted his true identity as a Korean citizen and that the Philippine passport he presented is fraudulently-acquired,” Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said.

According to supervisor Carlo Gomez of the BI Travel Control and Enforcement Unit, Kwak confessed that both his parents are Koreans and that he illegally obtained his Philippine passport by paying more than P120,000 to a compatriot in the Philippines.

Gomez said it was also the Korean, whose name Kwak refused to divulge, who processed and acquired the birth certificate found in his possession.

“Our records check showed that Kwak last arrived in the Philippines on Aug. 27, 2015, hence he has already been overstaying for more than three years,” Gomez added.

“These schemes will not pass. Our officers have a trained eye in detecting fraud. These aliens should not even consider attempting such schemes, lest they want to end up detained and deported,” Morente   warned.

Meanwhile, MIAA general manager Eddie Monreal on Monday commended personnel of the Manila International Airport Authority intelligence and security units for their accomplishments last year.

The first group of awardees composed of Intelligence and Investigation Division is led by Roderick Mejia and his team namely Diomedes C. Roca III, Ismael Bilal Rivera, John Bernard Mendeja, Mark Leonard Arcilla, and Dyron Candido.

The group apprehended a driver of a white taxi last Nov. 17, 2018 after receiving a robbery complaint from a passenger.

Also awarded were the team of Geoffrey John Camarauan and Saeed Qassim Abdul Karim Lopez from Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 Police Division.

The two were cited for arresting a Salisi Gang member identified as Roger Gagarin also in November. The officers recovered a clutch bag containing cash amounting to P250,000 and five passports and plane tickets.

Also recognized was the effort of the Police Intelligence and Investigation Division composed of Jerico Kim Patriarca, Joey Barlaan, Edzel Biag, Jerrold Demegillo, Ada Marie Campos, Elino R. Potracion and Gerber Argales.

The team arrested Juvy Macalalad, a notorious swindler operating at NAIA Terminal 3 who had victimized three overseas Filipino workers within the year of 2018.

Monreal expressed elation over the continuing commitment of the MIAA intelligence and police units to get rid of unscrupulous elements at the country’s airports.

“This just shows MIAA’s resolve to eradicate all forms of activities intended to victimize passengers and other airport users,” said Monreal.

“I congratulate all of you for doing your jobs exceedingly well. This is not only fulfilling your oath of office but a big service to our country as well. For the rest of our security people, I truly appreciate every single effort that you do every day because these efforts redound to achieving our organizational objectives. I pray that you will remain committed in the middle of the challenges that you face on the job. Rest assured that you will always have my support,” he added.”‹

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