MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has foiled another illegal surrogacy trafficking attempt at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1, arresting two Filipino nationals bound for Tbilisi, Georgia.

In a report, BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said that  the two victims were stopped by authorities after their travel documents were found to be fraudulent. 

The identities of the two Filipinos arrested are withheld for their protection, the BI official said.

Initially, the individuals claimed to be professionals traveling together on a self-funded leisure trip. However, upon closer inspection, secondary inspection officers discovered inconsistencies in their documents, leading to further questioning.

The victims later admitted that they had been recruited through Facebook by an online recruiter. 

They revealed that they had been offered a surrogacy arrangement for an undisclosed individual, with a monthly payment of P700,000. 

According to the victims, the recruiter had instructed them to undergo a physical medical examination prior to their planned departure to Georgia.

“We urge the public to be vigilant and cautious to avoid falling victim to such schemes,” Viado said.

The two individuals were subsequently turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for further investigation and assistance.

A Cambodian court recently sentenced 13 pregnant Filipino women to four years in prison for acting as surrogate mothers, as part of a crackdown on the illegal practice. 

The women were among 24 foreign nationals arrested in September in Kandal province on charges of attempted cross-border human trafficking. 

After the trial, the court imposed four-year sentences, with two years suspended. The court stated there was strong evidence that the women intended to sell the babies to others for money.