Chinese nationals topped the list of the total 257 foreign criminals arrested last year by the Bureau of Immigration who hid in the country to evade criminal prosecution in their homelands, according to BI Commissioner Jaime Morente.
The number of alien fugitives apprehended was higher than the 232 wanted foreigners arrested in 2017, the BI chief said.
“They were arrested in various operations conducted throughout the country by operatives from the BI Fugitive Search Unit headed by BI intelligence officer Bobby Raquepo,” he said.
Morente said most of the fugitives were already deported and were now serving their jail sentences after trial and conviction.
“All of them were also placed in our blacklist of undesirable aliens to make sure that they do not return and pose threat to our public safety and security,” the BI chief said.
Statistics show that 98 of the captured fugitives were wanted for fraud and economic crimes; 98 for telecom fraud; 44 for cybercrimes; seven for sex offenses; five for kidnapping; one for robbery extortion; one for gun possession and drug distribution; and one for smuggling.
“It is evident that the focus of our campaign last year was the neutralization of organized syndicates involved in cyber crimes and cyber fraud,” Raquepo said in his yearend report.
A total 116 Chinese fugitives were, followed by 80 Taiwanese, 27 Koreans, 16 Thai nationals, eight Americans, and five Britons.
Among the major operations conducted by BI-FSU operatives was the raid on a call center fraud establishment in Parañaque City last June 14 that led to the arrest of 16 Thais and three Taiwanese nationals.
On July 18, 2018, seven Chinese nationals wanted for cyber fraud by Beijing authorities were arrested in Pasay City.
The FSU also cited as major accomplishment the Nov. 28 arrest in Las Piñas City of five Chinese nationals suspected of being members of a kidnap for ransom syndicate that prey on Chinese tourists in the country.
They likewise arrested several high-profile criminals including Japan’s top fugitive Misao Kaminsukaso a.k.a. Misao Koyama wanted for defrauding billions of yen from compatriots in Japan, American priest Fr. Kenneth Bernard Hendricks wanted in Ohio for allegedly sexually molesting young altar boys, and Taiwan’s No. 1 most wanted criminal Oren Shlomo Mayer, for murdering, cutting into several pieces, and dumping into the river the body of a Canadian teacher.
“These arrests were all conducted through the request and assistance of their respective countries through their embassy or police,” said Morente. “Upon informing us that an alien in the country is wanted for a crime, we immediately take steps to apprehend the fugitive to ensure that justice will be served,” he added.
Morente explained that they receive information on fugitives from foreign governments, as well as the interpol.
“I have repeatedly said this, do not use the Philippines as your hideout to escape your crimes,” said Morente in a warning to foreign criminals hiding in the country. “You cannot escape the long arm of the law,” he added.
The warning came after the apprehension of Xie Haojie, a former Chinese government official national wanted in China for corruption and involvement in large-scale economic crimes.
The arrest of Xie, according to BI, is the first in the series of arrests of foreign fugitives they are targeting this year.