Hinarang ng mga tauhan ng Bureau of Immigration (BI) sa Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) ang isang Pakistani na hinihinalang miyembro ng grupong terorista na Al Qaeda nang tangkain nitong pumasok sa bansa.
Kinilala ni BI Commissioner Jaime Morente ang dayuhan na si Muhammad Arif, 43, na dumating sa NAIA terminal 1 na sakay sa Thai Airways flight mula sa Bangkok.
Ayon kay Morente, nang makumpirma na nasa BI database ng mga blacklisted alien at hinihinalang terorista ang Pakistani, agad itong pinabalik at pinasakay sa unang flight na magagamit pabalik sa kanyang pinanggalingan.
“We were informed that his purpose in coming here was doubtful because he could not pinpoint the places that he wanted to visit. He also could not tell why he was traveling alone,” ani Morente.
“Our immigration officers had no choice but to exclude him for posing a threat to our national security and risk to public safety,” pahayag pa ni Morente. (Mina Navarro)