2 foreign fugitives denied entry to PH —BI

Two foreign fugitives were intercepted from entering the country on New Year's Eve, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said.

Immigration authorities said one of the fugitives was a 30-year-old Mongolian national who arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) from Vietnam. He was denied entry after records showed a standing warrant of arrest in South Korea for a drug-related offense.

The other was a 37-year-old Turkish man who arrived from Japan and was excluded in the Philippines after being confirmed as a fugitive wanted in his country for sexual exploitation and prostitution.

According to the BI, the foreigners were identified prior to their landing in the country through the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS). The APIS operations center then alerted the BI Interpol, which verified the international arrest warrants and relayed the information to the immigration personnel at NAIA Terminal 1. This allowed for the timely interception of the subjects upon their arrival, the BI added.

In March 2025, the BI launched the APIS, which allowed authorities to screen passengers prior to their arrival in the country. —VAL, GMA Integrated News