MANILA, Philippines – An American national was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after hiding a 6-day-old Filipino baby in her luggage on Wednesday, September 4.
At around 6:20 am, Jennifer Talbot, 43 years old, was about to board a flight to the United States when security officers of Delta Airlines at NAIA Terminal 3 discovered the baby in her luggage during the routine security checks. The airline immediately coordinated with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to report the matter.
The baby was placed inside an oversized belt bag but was seen through the security checks, leading to the woman’s arrest.
“[The] infant was hidden in the oversized belt bag and (she) did not declare nor present to the immigration inspector during departure formalities,” an official from the BI told reporters.
Though she passed through the BI first, the baby was not discovered as the bureau said it was not within their policy to check passengers’ luggage.
No documents
When asked why she was carrying the baby and whose child it was, the middle-aged American claimed that she is the child’s aunt. However, she had no documents to prove her relationship with the child – and the child did not have any documents necessary for travel, particularly because she had been planning to take the child along with her to that flight towards the US.
But Talbot refused to elaborate why the child was in her possession or why she was bringing it to the US, hidden in her luggage.
She was brought to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) office for questioning, but the American national refused to cooperate with the interrogation and asked to speak with the US Embassy officials first.
Because a minor was involved, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) was also called to handle the situation. The baby boy is now under the department’s custody; DSWD officials said he is in good condition despite having been hidden inside the woman’s bag.
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
At around 6:20 am, Jennifer Talbot, 43 years old, was about to board a flight to the United States when security officers of Delta Airlines at NAIA Terminal 3 discovered the baby in her luggage during the routine security checks. The airline immediately coordinated with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to report the matter.
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| Photo credit: Bureau of Immigration (BI) / Twitter - Mike Navallo |
The baby was placed inside an oversized belt bag but was seen through the security checks, leading to the woman’s arrest.
“[The] infant was hidden in the oversized belt bag and (she) did not declare nor present to the immigration inspector during departure formalities,” an official from the BI told reporters.
Though she passed through the BI first, the baby was not discovered as the bureau said it was not within their policy to check passengers’ luggage.
 |
| Photo credit: Bureau of Immigration (BI) / Twitter - Mike Navallo |
No documents
When asked why she was carrying the baby and whose child it was, the middle-aged American claimed that she is the child’s aunt. However, she had no documents to prove her relationship with the child – and the child did not have any documents necessary for travel, particularly because she had been planning to take the child along with her to that flight towards the US.
But Talbot refused to elaborate why the child was in her possession or why she was bringing it to the US, hidden in her luggage.
She was brought to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) office for questioning, but the American national refused to cooperate with the interrogation and asked to speak with the US Embassy officials first.
Because a minor was involved, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) was also called to handle the situation. The baby boy is now under the department’s custody; DSWD officials said he is in good condition despite having been hidden inside the woman’s bag.
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
