MANILA – The Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested a total of 55 foreign fugitives in 2020, including 10 Japanese nationals, wanted for serious crimes in their home countries.
In a news release, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the fugitives were arrested in various places of the country by elements from the bureau’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU), which conducted surveillance and operations for the wanted foreigners.
He also disclosed that those arrested included sex offenders, investment scammers, swindlers, and telecommunications fraudsters.
According to the BI-FSU, 26 South Koreans topped the list of those arrested, followed by 10 Japanese nationals, nine Americans, and six Chinese nationals. Also arrested were a Briton, a Russian, a Czech, and a Saudi national.
Among the high profile fugitives arrested were eight Japanese nationals who were rounded up in February during a raid of their room at a Laguna resort where they were caught in the act of engaging in cyberfraud and voice phishing operations.
The suspects allegedly scammed their Japanese victims, many of them retired senior citizens, of millions of pesos through their fraudulent racket.
BI-FSU Chief Bobby Raquepo said the arrests on foreign fugitives were conducted in cooperation with foreign counterparts, who inform them of the crimes committed by the wanted aliens. - BI, Florenda Corpuz
