The five foreign nationals arrested in different operations in the province of Palawan on October 17, 2023. | PHOTO: Bureau of Immigration
MANILA, Philippines — Five foreigners were arrested in Palawan, with some of them found in possession of Filipino documents, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Friday.
The BI said their intelligence division reported that the aliens were arrested in different operations conducted in Taytay, Puerto Princesa, and El Nido on Tuesday.
The bureau said Taiwanese Lin Tsung-Te and Chinese Zhang Haicong were arrested in Taytay.
Meanwhile, Chinese Zhang Jinfei was arrested in Puerto Princesa, and Lin Yongzhen and Zhang Haicong, also both from China, were arrested in El Nido.
The BI said Haicong and Jinfei misrepresented themselves as local citizens in their driver’s licenses.
Based on the bureau’s report, the aliens are either overstaying or had presented a visa with purposes that do not align with their actual status.
The BI said the five are working in fisheries near naval bases. The bureau also said they are reportedly associated with a Palawan-based Chinese crime group involved in illegal activities.
The operations that led to the arrest of the aliens stemmed from intelligence reports that they were working without the proper documents, the bureau said.
The BI noted that in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the National Bureau of Investigation, they were arrested for violation of the Philippine Immigration Act.
The aliens will stay in BI’s facility in Bicutan, Taguig while facing their deportation cases, the bureau added.