Manila, Philippines – A 25-year-old Vietnamese woman wanted by authorities in her home country for drug-related offenses was intercepted by Philippine immigration officers upon arrival at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said.
According to a Bureau of Immigration press release posted on its official website, immigration.gov.ph, the passenger was flagged at NAIA Terminal 1 after officers detected an INTERPOL hit during routine arrival checks. The report said the woman had arrived from Phnom Penh on a Philippine Airlines flight early on April 29.
Interception Confirmed at Arrival Area
The BI identified the passenger as Tran Thi Hoai Nam, 25. She was stopped at the primary inspection area and later referred for further verification after the alert appeared in the system.
Authorities eventually confirmed that Tran was the subject of an active INTERPOL Red Notice issued by Vietnamese authorities just a day earlier. The notice was tied to allegations involving the facilitation of illegal narcotic use.
Her case was then endorsed to the BI’s INTERPOL Unit for review and coordination with the proper foreign authorities.
Red Notice Verified With Vietnamese Authorities
Immigration officials said the alert was validated through coordination with Vietnam. BI INTERPOL Unit Chief Peter de Guzman said the woman had allegedly gone into hiding after being linked to drug-use activities in Vietnam in 2022 and escaping during a police operation.
Following her interception, the BI said the National Central Bureau in Hanoi was informed through NCB Manila. The Vietnamese Embassy in Manila also formally requested her return so she could face prosecution in her home country.
She was later excluded from entering the Philippines and placed on a flight to Hanoi on the morning of April 30.
BI Says PH Borders Not Open to Foreign Fugitives
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the incident reflects the government’s continued efforts to keep Philippine borders secure and prevent fugitives from using the country as a safe haven.
He said the case also showed the importance of close coordination between Philippine immigration authorities, INTERPOL, and foreign government partners in tracking and intercepting wanted individuals.
Aside from being turned away, Tran was also placed on the BI blacklist, which bars her from re-entering the Philippines.
The case adds to ongoing border enforcement efforts at major ports of entry, particularly as immigration authorities step up screening measures against foreign nationals with outstanding criminal alerts. For overseas Filipinos and travelers passing through the country, the incident serves as another sign of tighter monitoring at Philippine gateways.