2 foreigners intercepted at NAIA for overstaying, operating illegal online gaming

MANILA, Philippines — Two foreigners were intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for illegal online gaming business and overstaying, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported Friday.

BI port operations division chief Grifton Medina, in a report to Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente, said that 22-year-old Chinese national Chen Xiao Qing was intercepted at NAIA Terminal 1 on March 27 while attempting to board a flight to Phnom Penh.

Medina said that immigration officers found Chen’s name in BI’s blacklist of undesirable aliens for illegal operation of online gaming business in the country.

“It was later found that she was ordered deported by the bureau last Dec. 28, 2016 for operating an unlicensed online gaming establishment in the country. She has been at large since,” Medina said in a statement.

Chen was brought to BI’s detention facility in Bagong Diwa, Taguig City pending implementation of the deportation order issued against her.

Meanwhile, Medina said that 34-year-old British national Nicholas Fawsitt was also intercepted at NAIA for overstaying in the country for at least five years.

Medina said Faswitt was attempting to flee the country by boarding a flight to London when he was nabbed by authorities.

He was included in BI’s watchlist of overstaying aliens and has a pending deportation case before the bureau.

Fawsitt’s passport was confiscated and turned over to the BI’s legal division so he may face the deportation complaint filed against him.

Morente warned foreigners with deportation cases against taking advantage of the COVID-19 outbreak to flee the country.