The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said since the start of the year it has arrested 13 foreign fugitives wanted for various crimes in their home countries.

 

BI Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. disclosed that the fugitives were arrested between January to March in operations conducted by intelligence agents from the bureau’s fugitive search unit (FSU).

 

            David said five of the foreigners were already deported and are presently serving prison terms for their crimes.

 

            The others who are still confined at the Bicutan immigration jail will be explled as soon as the bureau obtains the clearances for their deportation, the BI chief said.

            He added that all of the fugitives were placed in the immigration blacklist of undesirable aliens upon instruction of the BI board of commissioners which issued the orders for their summary deportation.

 

            David said he issued the mission orders for the arrest of the foreign fugtives at the request of the Interpol and foreign embassies in Manila.

 

            Atty. Ma. Antonette Mangrobang, BI acting intelligence chief, said 10 of the 13 aliens were apprehended last March when the bureau launched an intensified manhunt for foreign fugitives who fled to the Philippines to evade arrest and prosecution in their homelands.

 

            Mangrobang said the campaign against foreign fugitives will be pursued without letup as the bureau has been receiving numerous requests for assistance from the different embassies whose wanted nationals are believed to be hiding in the country.

 

            According to BI intelligence agent Armelo de Castro, BI-FSU head, those arrested are wanted for serious crimes such as kidnapping, robbery, child pornography, smuggling, fraud, child abduction, money laundering, burglary, and illegal gambling.

 

            De Castro said the fugitives included four Americans, two Japanese, two Koreans, two Chinese, a Swiss, an Irish, and a German.###