The Bureau of Immigration is set to deport the 55 Chinese arrested last Tuesday inside the Freeport Area of Bataan in Mariveles, Bataan and who are wanted by authorities in Beijing for economic crimes.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente disclosed that the bureau’s legal division has filed immigration violation charges against the Chinese for being undocumented aliens and posing risk to public safety and security.
Morente said the passports used by the aliens were all canceled by the Chinese government which sought their deportation due to their involvement in cyber fraud and illegal cyber gambling crimes here and in China.
“Our board of commissioners will soon issue a summary deportation order against them after which they will be flown to China to stand trial for their crimes,” Morente said, adding that the aliens will also be placed in the immigration blacklist to prevent them from returning to the Philippines.
Operatives from the BI fugitive search unit arrested the Chinese at the Freeport Area of Bataan area where they allegedly operated an online gaming business.
According to Immigration OIC Associate Commissioner Jose Carlitos Licas, the operation coincided with a similar crackdown of their accomplices by authorities in China that resulted in the arrest of undetermined number of suspects. (Jun Ramirez)