Pasay raid nets 542 illegal foreigners
The aliens were employed in running a telecommunications fraud that victimized mainland Chinese
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced yesterday the arrest of more than 500 foreign nationals in a raid of an illegal business process outsourcing company in Pasay City.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said 542 foreign nationals were rounded up during Wednesday night’s operation at Millenium Building in Pasay City conducted by the BI Intel Division operatives with the Philippine National Police-National Capital Region Police Office and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, in coordination with the Chinese Embassy in Manila.
The arrested foreign nationals were mostly male and included 442 Chinese, 23 Vietnamese, 25 Malaysians, 3 Indonesians, 45 Burmese and 4 Taiwanese.
Morente said the foreigners were arrested for working in the country without working permits or visas from the government and also for being undocumented aliens.
BI Intel Division chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. said the foreigners were involved in some sort of telecommunications fraud, similar to budol-budol, and their victims are mostly from mainland China.
Meanwhile, Morente said of BI’s involvement in the arrest of aliens: “If the alien committed a criminal act, it is under the jurisdiction of the local authorities. But if we see that there is an immigration violation, we may charge for deportation separately.”
He said, “It is within our policy not to implement deportation unless local cases are cleared already. If the alien needs to serve time in our local jails, then so be it. This is to ensure the full effect of justice.”
Morente then reiterated his warning to erring foreign nationals — “We welcome foreigners to visit the Philippines — work here, live here, study here, retire here. We welcome aliens as long as they comply with our laws. Follow our laws or face deportation.”
All 542 aliens are currently detained with the NCRPO in Bicutan, Taguig.