(Eagle News)–The Bureau of Immigration has deported seven Chinese nationals after they allegedly engaged in illegal activities in the country.
In a statement, Immigration Port Operations Acting Chief Grifton Medina said Yong, Li Jia, Ye Bin, Wang Xuening, Xu Xiansheng, Gong Yaan and Xie Yuhong were among those arrested in September last year in separate operations within and outside Metro Manila.
Intelligence unit chief Fortunato Manahan said three of them were among the 270 illegal foreign workers arrested at their workplace at the Ortigas Center in Pasig City where he said they operated an online investment scam racket that victimized other Chinese nationals.
He said another one of the seven was among the 304 illegal foreign workers arrested in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan for engaging in illegal online gaming operations, while the remaining three had been arrested in Masinloc, Zambales after being caught in the act of engaging in black sand mining.
Medina said Yong, Li, Ye and Wang were also wanted for economic crimes in China.
The bureau said all seven, who were detained in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, were deported on Thursday and Friday aboard two separate flights of China Southern Airlines bound for Xiamen.
The planes departed from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
“They were all sent home pursuant to deportation orders issued by our Board of Commissioners which also directed that they be placed in our blacklist,” Medina said.
He said the deportations were also in compliance with bureau chief Jaime Morente’s directive to expedite the resolution of cases against aliens confined at the Bicutan jail as part of measures to decongest and prevent the spread of COVID-19 at the facility.
Other foreign nationals who were arrested in the Pasig and Puerto Princesa raids have been deported.