An American woman caught trying to smuggle a newborn baby out of the Philippines in her hand luggage found the pregnant mother online before agreeing to take the infant, police said today (September 5).
Jennifer Talbot, 43, stuffed the six-day-old baby boy into an oversized belt bag before checking in to her flight at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila yesterday morning.
Shockingly, she had already passed through immigration and security before staff from Delta Airlines became suspicious and alerted airport police.
The mother was arrested and was today paraded to the public wearing an orange prison top and in handcuffs. She was then taken back to custody.
Staff from The National Bureau of Investigation said Talbot will face qualified human trafficking charges. She will also be tried for child abuse and kidnapping with serious illegal detention, officials said.
Police said the boy's mother, Maricris Dulap, had first made contact with Talbot, from Ohio, online and they had negotiated the adoption of the child.
Talbot then flew from the U.S. to meet the pregnant mother at her home in Davao City last month and stayed with her until she gave birth.
She then had already caught one flight from Davoa to the capital Manila - without security asking questions - before trying to board a second flight back to the U.S. while hiding the baby in her carry-on luggage.
Investigators said the boy's biological mother and the father, who has since fled, will also be charged with child abuse.
Police said that Talbot was able to present notarised copy of an affidavit of consent and support allegedly executed by the mother of the baby to travel to the United States on the day of her arrest. However, the document does not bear the signature of the parents.
Bureau of Immigration deputy spokesperson Melvin Mabulac said yesterday the baby boy did not have proper documents or a plane ticket.
The undocumented baby was taken to the Department of Social Welfare and Development while investigations are on-going.
Immigration chief Melvin Mabulac said: ''An American citizen was supposed to leave the country for the United States when airport officers at Naia Terminal 3 discovered the undocumented infant in her bag around 6:20 a.m.''
