The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is deporting a British national and an American wanted by their governments for sex offenses.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said 68-year-old William James Neville Ireland is now in BI custody following his arrest last Wednesday in Lubao, Pampanga by operatives from the bureau’s fugitive search unit (FSU).
Ireland is on the wanted list of UK’s National Crime Agency for engaging in sexual acts with a child at his home in Northern Ireland in 1996.
He was reportedly charged with seven counts of indecent assault of a female and two counts of gross indecency with a child.
The BI chief said that last Friday FSU operatives arrested 45-year-old Shane Edward Scism in Marikina City for being wanted in New York for failure to register as a sex offender.
The Correction Law of the State of New York requires sex offenders to register any change of address, internet accounts, internet profiles and status at any residence or educational institution.
A warrant for his arrest was issued in the State of New York last July 30.
“We will immediately deport them as their continued stay in the country poses a serious threat to our women and children,” Morente said.
FSU chief Bobby Raquepo said Ireland had hidden in the Philippines since Oct. 1, 2013 when he arrived here as a tourist.
He fled the UK to evade questioning by police on a complaint of historical sexual abuse that was filed against him.
“He was invited to appear for interview by the UK police that was scheduled on the same day he arrived in Manila,” Raquepo said.
Ireland became the subject of an Interpol red notice that was issued last Aug. 5 after UK authorities found that he had fled to the Philippines.
On the other hand, Scism last arrived in December 2017.
“He seems to have planned to relocate in the country for good in an effort to escape his liabilities in his country,” said Raquepo.
Raquepo added that Scism’s passport is already “in the process of being revoked by the US authorities.”
Both are detained at the BI’s detention center in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig. (Jun Ramirez)
