BI to deport 9 foreigners with undeclared P440M

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Tuesday it is seeking to deport the nine foreigners arrested at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport for carrying undeclared bags of cash amounting to over P440 million.

According to Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval, the deportation proceedings are ongoing.

The nine foreigners and two Filipinos were arrested by the Philippine National Police Aviation Security as they were attempting to board a private plane to Manila at about 10:30 p.m.

The suspects—including six Chinese and individuals from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan—were found carrying seven bags instead of the declared three bags containing up to P441,922,542, USD$168,730 (around P9.342 Million), and HKD$1,000 (around P71,000).

The BI said that aside from deportation proceedings, the group may also face criminal and anti-money laundering charges before local courts.

Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado said the foreigners will be deported after their local cases are resolved.

"Immigration laws prohibit foreigners from engaging in activities that pose risks to national security. Once they face their criminal charges, these individuals will be deported and blacklisted from re-entering the Philippines," he said in a statement. — VDV, GMA Integrated News