A CHINESE man has been arrested by immigration operatives at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 for presenting a fake Mexican passport while trying to leave the country.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said Lho Zhi Min, 53, was intercepted as he was to depart for Kualu Lumpur, Malaysia aboard a Malaysia Airlines flight on March 25.
Lho presented the Mexican passport during primary inspection by immigration authorities, but could not answer basic questions, prompting the immigration officer to refer him for tertiary inspection.
Tansingco said the BI’s forensic documents laboratory later confirmed that Lho’s Mexican passport was indeed fraudulent.
Charges for violation of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 is being readied against Lho.
Tansingco said Lho will be held at at the Warden’s Facility in Bicutan, Taguig City pending deportation proceedings.
Last year, 1,339 foreigners were deported by the BI, with Chinese nationals topping the list at 1,104. South Koreans followed with 87 deportees and Vietnamese with 39. Also, 19 Americans and 12 Nigerians were deported.
Majority of the deportees were found to have violated immigration laws, including overstaying, violating conditions of their stay, and being undesirable aliens.
