MANILA — Philippine immigration authorities have barred a 46-year-old Romanian national with a previous criminal conviction from entering the country after he arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, officials said Thursday.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) identified the passenger as Razvan Mircea Nedelea, also known as Razvan Necule. He arrived in Manila on September 22 aboard a Qatar Airways flight but was intercepted after immigration intelligence flagged his travel and criminal history.
The BI said Nedelea had previously been convicted and sentenced for procuring women for prostitution. The bureau also said intelligence information identified him as a member of a Romanian criminal group allegedly involved in trafficking women to Scotland.
BI Monitored His Flight Before Arrival
According to BI Anti-Terrorist Group Deputy Chief Bienvenido Castillo III, authorities had received intelligence indicating that Nedelea could be traveling to the Philippines.
Because of his criminal history and previous conviction, Castillo asked the BI’s Advance Passenger Information System Operations Center (APOC) to monitor his travel.
The APOC detected his travel information on September 21 — roughly nine hours before his scheduled arrival in Manila — and coordinated with the Anti-Terrorist Group and immigration personnel at NAIA Terminal 3.
When Nedelea arrived the following day, the primary immigration officer referred him to the Anti-Terrorist Group. Authorities subsequently recommended his exclusion from the Philippines and return to his country of origin.
BI Cites Border-Security Measures
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado praised immigration personnel and the agencies involved in identifying and stopping the passenger.
Viado said the bureau would continue using intelligence information, advance passenger data and inter-agency coordination to identify foreign nationals who may pose risks to public safety or national security.
The case demonstrates how Philippine immigration authorities are using passenger information before and during arrival to identify travelers with records that may trigger exclusion procedures.
What Happened at NAIA?
The sequence reported by the BI was:
- Sept. 21: The BI’s passenger-information operations center detected Nedelea’s travel details before his scheduled Manila arrival.
- Sept. 22: He arrived at NAIA Terminal 3 aboard Qatar Airways.
- Immigration personnel referred him to the BI’s Anti-Terrorist Group.
- Authorities recommended his exclusion and return to his country of origin.
The BI described the operation as the result of coordination between its passenger-information center, Anti-Terrorist Group and airport immigration personnel.
BI Tightens Screening of Foreign Arrivals
The incident comes as the Bureau of Immigration continues to emphasize the use of advance passenger information and intelligence-led screening at Philippine entry points.
The agency said such systems allow immigration officers to identify potentially problematic travelers before or immediately upon arrival, rather than relying solely on routine passport inspection.
For Nedelea, the result was immediate: despite having traveled to Manila, he was not permitted to enter the Philippines and was recommended for return to his country of origin.
The episode also puts renewed attention on how advance passenger information and immigration intelligence are being used to screen international travelers before they clear Philippine borders.
WWC ONE MEDIA G,A
