Iranian woman wanted for assault intercepted at NAIA

BI Port Operations Division (POD) chief Grifton Medina identified the fugitive as 31-year-old Zare Bahari Bahareh who was immediately excluded hours after she arrived at the NAIA Terminal 3 aboard a Cebu Pacific flight from Dubai Thursday morning. (File Photo: Bureau of Immigration, Republic of the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA — An Iranian wanted for an assault and battery case was intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported on Friday.

BI Port Operations Division (POD) chief Grifton Medina identified the fugitive as 31-year-old Zare Bahari Bahareh who was immediately excluded hours after she arrived at the NAIA Terminal 3 aboard a Cebu Pacific flight from Dubai Thursday morning.

He added that the foreigner was a respondent in a case in Dagupan and was intercepted by BI officers upon seeing that her name has a hit in their derogatory database.

According to BI NAIA Terminal 3 Head Bradford Allen So, Zare Bahari was excluded as she is the subject of a red notice from Interpol.

He also reported that during the implementation of the woman’s exclusion, another Iranian national identified as Minbashi Moeini Morteza had then approached the Immigration arrival area and caused a scene.

“Morteza was unruly. He was able to enter restricted areas at the airport, collect the luggage of Bahari, and sneak into the immigration arrival area to personally fetch his compatriot, surprisingly without an airport pass,” So said in a statement.

He added that Morteza’s presence in the arrival area was a brazen case of security breach that they had to immediately report to the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).

“Morteza and Zare Bahari were already causing a scene, and had to be forced apart by airport authorities, as Zare Bahari was screaming ‘Jesus kill you all Filipinos!’” the BI official added.

Morteza was reportedly then taken into custody by airport security personnel.

On the other hand, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente expressed dismay towards the incident.

“Foreign nationals should respect our laws when they are in our country. Improper behavior and derogatory remarks gave the officer further reason to deny Zare Bahari’s entry,” he said.

He also ordered airport authorities to conduct an investigation on the illegal entry of Morteza in the airport premises.

“This is a clear security breach, and should not be taken lightly. We are deeply concerned as to how this person was able to enter the airport without inspection,” the BI chief added.