Over 400 int’l criminals nabbed in 2019 —BI

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said its operatives nabbed 421 international criminals in 2019, 64% more compared to last year.

The majority of the international criminals arrested were Chinese. Out of 324 Chinese nationals nabbed by the BI, 277 were rounded up for their involvement in a large-scale investment scam in Pasig City that led to losses of over $14 million.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said many of the alien fugitives arrested by their Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) have already been deported to their countries of origin and serving their sentences.

“They can no longer come back because they have been placed in our blacklist of undesirable aliens,” Morente said in a statement on Monday.

“We cannot allow these criminals to use the Philippines as their sanctuary," he added.

The BI chief said the arrested foreigners were wanted for offenses such as rape, child molestation, illegal drugs, fraud, cyber crimes, and large-scale economic crimes.

The other arrested fugitives were from Japan, Korea, the United States, Taiwan, Great Britain, Russia, Sweden, Malaysia, Colombia, Australia, and Germany.

Last November, 36 Japanese nationals were also arrested for their involvement in telecom fraud and theft that incurred over $18 million in losses.

BI FSU Chief Bobby Raquepo assured that they are in “close coordination with foreign authorities to locate and arrest wanted aliens.”

Morente vowed to intensify their campaign against illegal aliens and foreign fugitives in 2020.

"These criminals are not welcome here in the Philippines, many of which are part of international syndicates that try to relocate their operations in the country. We will not allow this," he said. — Julia Mari Ornedo/BM, GMA News