The Manila International Airport Authority on Tuesday reminded departing air travelers, especially those bound for Hong Kong, not to bring banned items in their belongings.
The MIAA issued the advisory days after a Filipino student going to Canada was arrested and detained in an airport in Hong Kong after a restricted item was found in his luggage.
The student, whose name was withheld, was intercepted in Hong Kong airport last Jan. 8, 2019 for bringing extendable batons in his check-in baggage.
The Philippine Consulate General earlier appealed to Filipino passengers entering or transiting Hong Kong to refrain from bringing prohibited items, particularly stunning devices in their carry-on or check-in luggage as these are considered as “arms” under the firearms and ammunition ordinance of Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, immigration agents arrested a Malaysian who was barred to leave the country with a bogus Philippine passport at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
The “fake” Filipino was identified as Toong Yuen Chin who was held at the NAIA terminal 3 when he tried board an Air Asia flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
BI-Port Operations Division chief Grifton Medina said Chin used a counterfeit Philippine passport under the assumed name of Jacky Cruz Chin which he presented to the immigration officer who became suspicious when the said passport could not be encoded by the passport reader.