Bureau of Immigration Interpol task force nabs Canadian for murder

MANILA, Philippines - The creation of Immigration Interpol Task Force at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 Wednesday night led to the arrest of a Canadian-Vietnamese national wanted in Ottawa, Canada for alleged six counts of murder.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan issued a mission order addressed to Ferdinand Sampol, NAIA-BI chief for operations and to other BI Interpol agents to arrest upon arrival a certain Le Quang Vinh Thang, 24 years old, Canadian-Vietnamese through the request of Interpol Manila in cooperation with the Canadian police, who briefed Libanan regarding his case.

On Wednesday night on board Philippine Airlines PR/VN 598 flight at around 7 p.m., Thang was spotted at the Immigration counter by Marie Vitan, BI head supervisor of Terminal 2 and members of the task force as they invited him to the office for questioning.

Upon admitting that he was Thang, he was immediately brought to the office of Libanan for investigation procedures and disposition.

Libanan ordered Thang to be brought to the BI detention center in Bicutan while waiting for the proper procedures before his deportation.

BI has set up its own Interpol unit to provide better coordination with their counterparts from the 187 member-countries and with local government agencies. BI spokesman lawyer Floro Balato Jr. has been appointed by Libanan to head the newly-formed Interpol Unit.

“We would also have a database of fugitives from the 187 member-countries of the Interpol. Information about the fugitives and wanted criminals would be availabe and we would be able to speed up the apprehension and deportation of undesirable aliens,” he said. – Rudy Santos, Evelyn Macairan