81 foreign fugitives charged
Charges of violating the Philippine immigration act were filed against the 47 Chinese and 34 Taiwanese nationals arrested recently by intelligence operatives of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) inside a condominium building in Makati City for allegedly engaging in cyber fraud operations.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the deportation charges were filed after the Chinese embassy informed the bureau that all the arrested aliens are fugitives wanted for cyber fraud and economic crimes in China.
Morente added that the aliens were placed in the immigration watchlist to prevent them from leaving while they are undergoing deportation proceedings before the BI board of commissioners.
According to lawyer Arvin Santos, BI law and investigation chief, the Chinese nationals were charged with undesirability and for posing risk to public safety and security due to their being wanted fugitives.
BI shall secure NBI clearances before their deportation to ensure that they do not have pending criminal cases.
“They were also charged with being undocumented aliens for their failure to present immigration documents to prove they were legally staying in the country,” Santos said.
BI acting spokesman Grifton Medina disclosed that the aliens were arrested Tuesday night inside their units at a condominium tower along Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City by agents from the bureau’s fugitive search unit led by Intelligence Officer and FSU Chief Bobby Raquepo.
Medina said the arresting team incidentally chanced upon the other aliens during an operation to capture four Chinese fugitives wanted by Beijing authorities for involvement in economic crimes.
“Aside from violating our immigration laws, they will also be investigated for possible violation of the anti-cybercrime law by the Department of Justice (Do) which means they cannot be deported while their criminal liability is being determined,” otherwise they will be issued summary deportation orders (SDO), the BI official explained.
Raquepo, as BI-FSU chief, reported that the Chinese nationals were manning and operating their respective work stations inside the condominium when the arresting agents swooped down on the building.
They were later brought to the BI main office and later at the BI detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City where they are currently confined pending deportation and criminal investigation proceedings.