(Eagle News)–The Bureau of Immigration has arrested more than 200 Chinese fugitives and undocumented foreign workers in Pasig recently.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said on Friday, Sept. 13, that they were arrested in a corporate center where they were working two days before.
The operation was conducted by the BI Fugitive Search Unit, in coordination with the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, Philippine National Police’s Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group, and the Chinese Ministry of Public Security.
Morente said authorities were initially supposed to arrest only four Chinese fugitives based on a mission order he issued following a tip from the Chinese embassy.
“We received an official communication from Police Attaché Chen Chao of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines indicating that these Chinese fugitives engaged in an investment scam that victimized more than a thousand individuals, and has an estimated cost of damages amounting to more than 100 million RMB,” Morente said.
FSU Head Bobby Raquepo said, however, that 273 other Chinese nationals were caught in the act of conducting illegal online operations.
He said a check showed that they were also fugitives from justice for large-scale fraud and investment scam in their country.
“Upon verification with the Chinese government, we found out that the passports of these fugitives have already been canceled, making them undocumented aliens,” Raquepo said.
Morente said the BI was serious in its drive against foreign criminals who try to evade prosecution.
“Their presence in the country is a risk to public security,” he said.
He said the case has been forwarded to the BI’s Legal Division for the filing of appropriate charges.
Those arrested are temporarily detained at the BI’s warden facility in Taguig pending deportation proceedings.
