In line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to strengthen border security and ensure that foreign fugitives face justice, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) intercepted a 25-year-old Vietnamese woman wanted for drug-related offenses upon arrival at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
The BI identified the passenger as Tran Thi Hoai Nam, 25, who was intercepted at the primary inspection line at NAIA Terminal 1 early morning of April 29, after immigration officers detected an INTERPOL hit upon her arrival from Phnom Penh via a Philippine Airlines flight.
The passenger was referred to supervisors for further verification, which confirmed that she is the subject of an active INTERPOL Red Notice issued by Vietnam authorities only a day before for the facilitation of illegal use of narcotic substances. Her case was reviewed and endorsed to the BI Interpol Unit and confirmed with Vietnamese authorities.
According to BI Interpol Unit Chief Peter de Guzman, the fugitive had been evading authorities after allegedly facilitating drug use activities in Vietnam in 2022 and fleeing during a police operation.
The BI said that the National Central Bureau in Hanoi was immediately informed of her interception through NCB Manila, while the Vietnamese Embassy in Manila has formally requested her return to Vietnam to face prosecution. She was excluded and boarded a flight to Hanoi morning of April 30.
As a consequence of her exclusion, Tran’s name has been included in the BI’s blacklist, effectively barring her from re-entering the country.
