An American woman was arrested in the Philippines on Wednesday for attempting to smuggle a six-day-old baby onto a U.S.-bound flight, authorities said.
Jennifer Erin Talbot attempted to smuggle a baby out of Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, according Marlon Toledo of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). An investigation is underway.
Talbot was arrested after attempting to hide the infant in her hand-luggage, according to Grafton Medina of the NBI.
Talbot was attempting to board a Delta flight to Detroit but could not provide documents for the infant, he said. She was ultimately bound for Columbus, Ohio, he added.
“We worked in coordination with US-based airline who helped us apprehend the passenger at the boarding gate,” Medina said.
“She would not have a baby in a hand-carry to be x-rayed. But she hid it at check-in and when she passed immigration counters, and then at the other x-ray to the boarding gate, then she showed it. That’s the time we were able to apprehend her, when she passed through the next x-ray,” Medina added.
The NBI confirmed to NBC News that the baby is now with the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
More details are expected to revealed about the case at a press conference on Thursday.