By U.S. News Agency / Asian

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) warned foreign tourists against the activities of “fixers” faking the arrival, departure visa extension stamps of the agency.

BI Commissioner Ricardo A. David Jr. issued the warning after immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) arrested two departing Chinese women with spurious immigration stamps on their passports.

“This unscrupulous act of faking immigration stamps not only victimizes the foreigners who were duped of their money. It also deprives our government of much needed revenues,” David said.

He advised foreign tourists to transact directly with employees at BI offices and not with strangers promising to process their immigration papers faster and at cheaper price.

It was learned that that the two aliens, identified as Lin Xiumei and Shao Xiuxi, are now detained at the BI detention center in Bicutan following their arrest last Aug. 12 at the NAIA.

They were about to board a China Southern Airlines flight to Xiamen, China when they were stopped by elements of the BI’s travel control and enforcement unit.

Their passports both contained spurious immigration stamps and they also carried fake BI official receipts.

According to Atty. Ma. Antonette Mangrobang, BI acting intelligence chief, Lin was victimized by a lady “fixer” who approached her when she went to the bureau’s main office last Aug. 6.

“The stranger offered to process Lin’s visa extension and asked for P78,000 as payment for the fees and her services,” Mangrobang said. The stamps turned out to be fraudulent when examined by NAIA-BI officials.

On the other hand, Shao, who lived in Bukidnon, reportedly alleged she was victimized by a fellow Chinese national who offered to process her visa extension in Manila.

Shao said her passport was given to her at the airport, adding that she did not give money to the Chinese fixer who agreed to be paid if she was able to leave.