The Bureau of Immigration (BI) intercepted a Chinese national suspected to be a member of a notorious ‘salisi gang’ said to be involved in thefts aboard commercial airplanes.
The Chinese man was identified as Zhou Wei, 52. He was arrested after he attempted to enter the country last January 20 aboard a Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1.
A report from BI Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) Operations Center (APOC) Chief Melvin Mabulac detailed that their office received a system alert, showing information about Zhou’s movements.
Mabulac said that reports from international intelligence sources state that Zhou is the member of organized criminal group consisting of Chinese citizens who are involved in committing thefts on board of aircraft of various airlines.
According to Mabulac, crimes commonly involve stealing money in cash from hand luggage of other passengers and based on available information, gang members usually take hand luggage from overhead compartments, return to their seats and check the luggage content for cash and other valuables.
Upon arrival, Zhou was immediately intercepted and denied entry into the Philippines. It was learned that the operation was made possible through the use of UN goTravel software of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, with assistance from the Australian government. The system allowed the BI to get advance information about suspected criminals, giving the bureau the opportunity to make the necessary arrangements for their interception.
Zhou was immediately boarded back to his country of origin, and has since been blacklisted and banned from re-entering the country.
