Authorities have arrested three Chinese nationals in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi for allegedly selling fake items and violating immigration laws on Thursday, May 7, 2026.

Operatives of the Tawi-Tawi Police Provincial Office carried out an entrapment operation in an inn in Barangay Simandagit and arrested three male Chinese nationals – one is holding a passport with an expired visa while the other two have no passports but possess alien certificates.

Based on investigation, the suspects allegedly arrived in the town on May 3, 2026, to allegedly sell counterfeit mobile phones and other items without the necessary permits and documents.

The Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) also monitored the suspects allegedly conducting suspicious activities not just in Bongao, but as well as in Panglima Sugala and other nearby barangays.

The suspects allegedly sold fake cellphones and wristwatches at unusually low prices.

Seized from the suspects were items worth more than P410,000.

“Intelligence reports also indicated possible information-gathering activities from residents, posing a potential security concern,” PRO-BAR said.

Authorities also said that one of the suspects had been monitored previously in Languyan, Tawi-Tawi from 2023 to 2024.

The suspects are now detained and their cases will be referred to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

“This successful operation demonstrates our firm resolve to uphold the law and protect our communities from illegal activities that threaten public order, economic stability, and national security. We assure the public that PRO BAR, together with our partner agencies, will remain vigilant and proactive in addressing all forms of criminality within the region,” PRO-BAR Director, Brigadier General Christopher Abecia, said.