MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 intercepted two Filipinas on May 16 believed to be victims of a coordinated mail-order bride scheme.

According to a report submitted to Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado, officers from the Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) flagged the women—both in their early twenties—before they could board a Xiamen Airlines flight to China. The two claimed they were traveling to reunite with their Chinese husbands.

While both presented marriage certificates and asserted they had been married for a long time, authorities noted several inconsistencies in their statements. I-PROBES later discovered that both weddings were held on the same date and time.

During further questioning, the women admitted that their marriages were fake and revealed that two other Filipinas were also married to Chinese nationals on the same day. One of the victims disclosed that a third party had arranged the documents and the ceremony, instructing them to act like strangers during the trip.

“This scheme continues to evolve, targeting vulnerable Filipinas,” Viado said. “Traffickers are trying new tactics to exploit our women.”

Viado reiterated the Bureau’s commitment to working closely with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) to prevent human trafficking and safeguard at-risk Filipinos.

The intercepted women were turned over to IACAT for further investigation and identification of their recruiters.