MANILA, Philippines — Eight foreign nationals suspected of being members of a big-time illegal drugs syndicate were arrested in separate operations in Las Piñas and Makati, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported Tuesday.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente in a statement said the foreign nationals were collared during separate operations conducted by operatives from the immigration’s fugitive search unit (FSU) in Las Piñas and Makati last June 17.
BI-FSU Chief Rendel Ryan Sy said two Yemeni nationals—identified as brothers Ayesh Hazem Faiz Kadaf and Ayesh Hamzah Faiz Kadaf—were arrested inside their residence in Las Piñas City.
In the same operation, Djibouti national Mohamoud Mouhoumed Mohamed was also caught possessing dangerous drugs.
Meanwhile, the BI also reported the arrest of Sudanese nationals Mohamed Alfaith Mohamed Saeed Osman, Eltayeb Ahmed Subahi Faris, and Angolan Ciel Do Carmo Miguel Domingos. They were found possessing illegal drugs at their residence in Poblacion in Makati City.
Sri Lankan Mohamed Silmy Sahabdeen and Kyrgyzstani national Anara Ruslanova were also arrested for a similar offense.
The foreign nationals have also been overstaying in the country, Morente noted.
Morente said the foreign nationals would undergo deportation proceedings for being undesirable aliens due to their involvement in illegal drugs.
“However, they will be criminally charged and prosecuted in court and, if convicted, they will have to first serve their sentences before we can deport them,” Morente said.
“We will not tolerate any foreign national destroying our communities by peddling illegal drugs. We are working closely with other government agencies to ensure that these criminals are deported and blacklisted from our country,” he added.
The eight foreigners were sent to the BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City to await their criminal trial and deportation proceedings. – Xander Dave Ceballos
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