African tagged in human organ trafficking arrested
Badreldin Elzaki Ibrahim El Habbib | PHOTO: Bureau of Immigration (BI)
MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Tuesday said it arrested a Sudanese allegedly involved in trafficking human organs and has been wanted for 14 years.
The BI in a statement identified the Sudanese as Badreldin Elzaki Ibrahim El Habbib, 44. He was arrested in Makati City during a hearing for a carnapping incident he was also involved in.
According to the BI, El Habbib was arrested pursuant to a Warrant of Deportation issued by BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco, following a Summary Deportation Order issued in 2013 for undesirability.
The BI said that the suspect mostly had Saudi Arabian nationals as victims who were in need of an organ transplant, who he reportedly enticed and recruited but ended up swindling.
The immigration bureau also said that it received information from the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) reagrding El Habbib’s involvement in organ trafficking.
He was previously arrested in September 2009 but was released for posting bail, and had remained at large since then.
The BI then said that it is set to deport El Habbib, but explained that it would need to first ensure that all ongoing cases against him in the country have already been resolved.
“His presence in the country poses a threat to Filipinos,” said Tansingco.
“Hence he has been arrested, and will be deported for violating immigration laws,” he added.
BI said that the suspect also has a Filipino wife and children.
