Bureau of Immigration operatives have arrested a convicted British fraudster wanted by United Kingdom authorities for large-scale Internet fraud and money laundering.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the BI is set to deport Jared William Ainsworth, 31, who was apprehended last Thursday in a popular mall in Taguig City by operatives from the bureau’s Fugitive Search Unit.
“We will be deporting him immediately as we already issued an order for his deportation a year ago for being an undesirable alien,” Morente said.
He described Ainsworth as a high-profile fugitive, citing reports that he and his brother reportedly continued to operate their racket even while they were hiding in the country.
It was learned that the Briton is the older brother of Calvin Jason Ainsworth, 25, who was arrested and deported by the BI last year.
The siblings, who were indicted for being accomplices in committing their crimes, reportedly fled to the Philippines in September 2015 after they were released on bail by a court.
According to FSU chief Bobby Raquepo, the Ainsworth brothers continued to profit from their racket during their stay in the Philippines.
The duo allegedly sold non-existent goods via the Internet and the victims’ money were laundered to the siblings via money transfers by their cohorts in the UK.
Information obtained from the British embassy in Manila revealed that a British court had convicted the Ainsworths for large-scale fraud by false representation in violation of the British Fraud Act of 2006.
UK authorities placed the amount of money the suspects earned from the scheme at least $175,000. (Jun Ramirez)
