An American woman was arrested for trying to smuggle a newborn baby onto a flight out of Manila airport after carrying it through security in her carry-on bag.
The Philippines Bureau of Immigration (BI) named the woman as Jennifer Talbot, 43, according to local reports, which said she was arrested on Sept. 4 as she approached the departure gates.
Authorities have indicated that the baby appeared to be Filipino, and did not belong to Talbot.
Port Operations Division Chief Grifton Medina said that authorities believe Talbot switched between carrying the baby and holding it in her in the bag to evade X-ray and immigration procedures.
“However, she hid the child when she went to the airline’s counter, and while undergoing the immigration procedure,” he said.
She took out the baby as she approached the boarding gate at Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NIAI), where airline staff established that the child had no travel documents, no birth certificate, and no certification from the social services.
“When [sic] she presented was an affidavit, which is also doubtful because it wasn’t signed by the child’s mother, and considering the child is a Filipino,” Medina said.
Still CCTV images shared on social media by local news sites from the airport show a woman, identified as Talbot, standing in a security line at the airport.
According to authorities, Talbot faces several charges including child trafficking.
The case is being referred to the National Bureau of Investigation, which is also charged with finding the baby’s identity and his tracing its parents.
MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal told the news outlet he has ordered his security team “to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged attempt of a female passenger to sneak out of the country a six-day-old male infant whom she reportedly kept inside a bag she was carrying,” the MIAA said.
“The MIAA cannot issue any further statement at this time until the ongoing investigation is over,” he added.
