276 foreigners arrested in Makati raid

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has arrested 276 foreigners suspected of working in a network technology company in Makati City without the required visas or permits.

The foreigners were arrested during a raid on an undisclosed company in the Alphaland building Monday afternoon for "verification of their travel documents and immigration status," the BI said Tuesday.

Most of the 276 foreigners were undocumented and unable to show proof of their status in the Philippines at the time of the operation, BI intelligence chief Fortunato Manahan, Jr. said in a statement.

If proven to be working in the country without the proper visa, the foreigners, said to be mostly engaged in online gaming business, may be charged for deportation, he said.

Verification is ongoing, said BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval. In the meantime, the foreigners are detained at the BI's Warden Facility in Taguig City.

The BI arrested 533 foreigners in 2018, most of whom were found working without permits. The number was 326 percent greater than those arrested in 2017.

BI chief Jaime Morente said he expects more arrests in the following months. — MDM, GMA News