The Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported the arrest of four foreigners who attempted to leave the country with spurious travel documents.
In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the alien passengers were apprehended on separate occasions during the first week of February by BI officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
“Thanks to the vigilance of our officers at the airport we were able to prevent these illegal aliens from slipping in or out of the country,” Tansingco said.
He disclosed that the aliens are currently detained at the BI detention center in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City pending deportation proceedings.
“Afterwards, we will include them in our immigration blacklist to prevent them from reentering the country,” the BI chief added.
Tansingco observed that all four foreign passengers attempted to leave the country and evade punishment for their immigration offenses by using spurious travel documents, an offense punishable by deportation under the Philippine immigration act.
The first to be arrested last Feb. 3 was Indian national Harpreet Singh Ahitan, 32, who was caught with a fake immigration visa extension on his passport before he could board an Air Asia flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
This was followed by the arrest last Feb. 6 by Chinese national Zhang Yang, 30, who attempted to leave via a Philippine Airlines flight to Bangkok but was found to have a fake Philippine visa affixed in his passport.
That same day, Indian national Maleet Singh, 42, was barred from boarding his Thai Airways flight to Singapore after BI officers found that the immigration arrival stamp on his passport is counterfeit.
Then on Feb. 8, Korean national Lee Jihun, 38, was intercepted for having been found to be wanted in Korea for electronic financial fraud. He was arrested for undesirability, and for being undocumented for possessing a revoked passport.
The BI also reported the interception arriving foreigners who have violated immigration laws.
Arrested was a Taiwanese national identified as Lin Chia Hao, 29, who arrived on board a Saudia flight from Jeddah last February 8. He was found to attempted to enter the country with a have a fake Philippine visa on his passport.
On February 10, South Korean national Kang Juchun, 38, was arrested for being wanted for murder charges and abandonment of his victim. He was also arrested for undesirability and was considered a fugitive from justice by the interpol. (JERRY S. TAN)
