THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Thursday said it would deport the 55 Chinese that it arrested this week inside the free-port zone in Mariveles, Bataan, and who are wanted by authorities in Beijing for economic crimes.
BI Commissioner Jaime H. Morente said the bureau’s legal division already filed charges of violation of immigration laws against the Chinese for being undocumented aliens and posing risk to public safety and security.
He said the passports used by the 55 have been canceled by the Chinese government, which sought their deportation owing to their involvement in cyber fraud and illegal cyber gambling in the Philippines and in China.
“Our Board of Commissioners will soon issue a summary deportation order against them after which they will be flown to China to stand trial for their crimes,” Morente said, adding that the 55 will also be placed on the immigration blacklist to prevent them from returning to the Philippines.
It can be recalled that operatives from the BI fugitive search unit arrested the Chinese at the Bataan free-port area, where they allegedly operated an online gaming business.
Acting Immigration Associate Commissioner Jose Carlitos Licas said the operation coincided with a similar crackdown of their accomplices by authorities in China that resulted in the arrest of undetermined number of suspects.
Licas said the operations were carried out after months of intensive surveillance by Chinese authorities and BI agents on the activities of the members of the gambling syndicate here and in China.
He added that the operation was coordinated with officials of the Bataan Freeport Authority and the police attaché of the Chinese Embassy in Manila.
The 55 are held at the BI detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, Taguig City, pending deportation proceedings.