S'porean arrested in Philippines for smuggling PRC into Canada using fake Sg passport

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/ne...gration-cops-thwart-human-trafficking-at-NAIA

Immigration cops thwart human trafficking at NAIA
By Jerome Aning
Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 08:42:00 03/05/2010

MANILA, Philippines—Immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have foiled an attempt by an international human trafficking syndicate to smuggle illegal aliens to Canada, using Manila as a transit point.

Bureau of Immigration (BI)-Airport Operations Division director Ferdinand Sampol said the human trafficking operation was thwarted on Monday with the apprehension of the syndicate’s courier and two of its victims at the NAIA.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan, said the interception of the victims and the arrest of their courier were the result of proper trainings and use of modern technology.

“This showed that our agency is capable of defeating any attempts by human trafficking syndicates to use the Philippines as their transit point in transporting illegal people,” Libanan said.

Sampol, in a report to Libanan, identified the suspected courier of the syndicate as Joana Lee May Lin, a Singaporean, and her companions as Jeremy Lim Chee Siong and Jimmy Ong Lai Heng, both Chinese nationals.

Sampol said the three passengers were intercepted at the NAIA Terminal 2 before they could board a Philippine Airlines flight bound for Vancouver, Canada on March 1.

BI associate commissioner Enrique Galang presented the three aliens in a news conference at the agency’s main office in Manila on Wednesday. He said Lim and Ong were initially apprehended for trying to leave the country using fraudulent Singaporean passports.

“They arrived in Manila using their original Chinese passports but upon arriving here the syndicates gave them the Singaporean passports,” Galang said.

Re: S'porean arrested in Philippines for smuggling PRC into Canada using fake Sg pass

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=554771&publicationSubCategoryId=65

Falsification of document raps filed against Singaporean, Chinese
By Evelyn Macairan (The Philippine Star) Updated March 04, 2010 12:00 AM <!-- start of photo and caption--> <!-- start of photo and caption-->


Three suspected human traffickers — Singaporean Joana Lee May Lin and Chinese nationals Jeremy Lim Chee Siong and Jimmy Ong Lai Heng — were presented to the press at the Bureau of Immigration after they were arrested for trying to bring in illegal aliens to Canada with Manila as transit point. ERNIE PEÑAREDONDO

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<!-- end of photo and caption--> <!-- end of photo and caption--> MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Immigration is set to file administrative and falsification of document charges against a Singaporean and two Chinese for allegedly using fake passports and used the Philippines as a transit point in order to enter Canada.

BI Associate Commissioner Enrique Galang identified them as Joana Lee May Lin, a Singaporean and suspected courier of the syndicate, and the two Chinese nationals Jeremy Lim Chee Siong and Jimmy Ong Lai Heng. The three foreigners were brought to the BI detention center in Taguig City. They would be deported to their respective countries once the criminal cases against them have been settled. Galang said that it was the airlines that reportedly informed them that the Singaporean Lin often traveled to the country and that she often acted as an interpreter for her companions.

The BI is now exploring the possibility if she is a member of an international human trafficking syndicate. Monday, she was seen with the Chinese Lim and Ong and even acted as their interpreter.

Trained members of the BI-Monitoring Compliance and Migration Group (MCMG) then arrested them at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 after discovering that Lim and Ong entered the country using Chinese passports but that they were supposed to take another flight to Canada reportedly using Singaporean passports. They reportedly paid $20,000 and $30,000 to facilitate the processing of their alleged bogus passports.

If you will notice that the pages of their passports were original, but a closer look showed that the front and back cover of the passports were replaced and it bore bigger stitches. The picture on the passport was also tampered with, Galang said.

The Singaporean’s passport was legitimate.

Galang added, “As of the moment, there are no indications that a Filipino aided them. There is also a need for further investigation to determine how long this has been going on.”

BI spokesman lawyer Floro Balato Jr. explained that the Chinese nationals used a Singaporean passport because Canada imposes more stringent rules if a foreigner is from China. While if they came from Singapore, the Canadian authorities would not even require visa.