In line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to intensify the government’s crackdown against illegal mining, a total of eight foreigners were arrested by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in an operation last September 23.
In his report, BI Intelligence Division Chief Fortunato Manahan, Jr. said that seven Chinese nationals and one Taiwanese national were apprehended at a mining site in Sitio Dimakawal, Barangay Bukal Norte, Dinapigue, Isabela.
The operation was conducted by the BI Intelligence Division (ID) Regional Intelligence Operations Units (RIOU) in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Regions 2 and 3, and the BI-ID Main Office, in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, National Bureau of Investigation–Isabela District Office, Philippine Navy, Philippine Army, Dinapigue Isabela Police Station, and government intelligence forces.
Manahan said that the arrests stemmed from intelligence reports that foreign nationals were engaged in copper and gold mining in the area.
The foreigners were arrested for violations of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 for working without a permit or visa, for being undocumented, and for engaging in work outside their petitioning company.
The eight foreigners were transferred to Manila for booking, and were later brought to the BI’s detention facility in Taguig, where they will remain during deportation proceedings.
