MANILA, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Philippine immigration agents detained on Friday nearly 180 Indonesian nationals who allegedly tried to leave the Philippines using fake Philippine passports.
Antonette Mangrobang, a spokesman for the immigration bureau, told GMA News TV that the 173 Indonesians, who apparently arrived in the Philippines in batches during the past weeks, were intercepted as they were about to board a 12:30 a.m. flight for Madinah, Saudi Arabia to participate in the Hajj Pilgrimage.
She said five Filipinos, who are escorting the Indonesians, are also being quizzed to shed light on the issue.
"We are still looking into how the Indonesians were able to sneak into the country. We want to know their point of entry, for instance. It's a big challenge for us because we are still verifying their true identities," Magrobang said.
She said the bureau has already sought the help of the Indonesian Embassy in Manila to help identifying the Indonesians. "We have decided to detain them at our detention center in Bicutan for the meantime," she added.
Read the full story at Xinhua