BI to deport 9 foreigners caught with P440 million

MANILA, Philippines — Nine foreigners who were arrested recently for transporting P440 million in undeclared cash will be deported, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported yesterday.

The suspects – seven Chinese, an Indonesian and a Kazakhstan national – are undergoing deportation proceedings for being undesirable aliens.

“Immigration laws prohibit foreigners from engaging in activities that pose risks to national security,” Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said.

The foreigners were apprehended by police on charges of anti-money laundering at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport on May 10.

“They will be deported and blacklisted from re-entering the Philippines,” Viado said.

The BI is also coordinating with the Philippine National Police to verify the criminal records of the suspects.

According to police, one of the arrested Chinese nationals, Wu Song, reportedly has a red notice alert for fraud from the International Criminal Police Organization or Interpol.

Two other suspects, Li Fei and Chen Hao, have warrants of arrest for various crimes.

Chinese posing as Pinoy nabbed

Meanwhile, BI agents arrested 32-year-old Chinese Wang Chaoxin for allegedly posing as a Filipino.

Wang was apprehended by BI agents, in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), in Cebu on May 14.

Wang allegedly acquired a Philippine driver’s license and a birth certificate and registered his company under his assumed Filipino name.

“Through close collaboration with the AFP and NBI, we are able to act swiftly on intelligence reports and ensure that those abusing our immigration laws are held accountable,” Viado said.