British ‘con artist’ arrested in Pampanga

Bureau of Immigration. INQUIRER FILE / ALEXIS CORPUZ

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has arrested a Briton who is allegedly among the most wanted con artists in the United Kingdom.

A certain Adam James Stagg, 30, was arrested at his home in Don Bosco compound, Mabalacat City, in Pampanga last Friday.

The BI’s fugitive search unit sought the Briton on orders of BI commissioner Jaime Morente upon the request of the British embassy.

“Like all other foreign fugitives that we have arrested, this Briton will be expelled and sent back to his country to stand trial for his crimes,” Morente said.

Stagg is reportedly seventh in the UK’s ten most wanted alleged fraudsters.

Morente said Stagg would be deported as soon as the BI board of commissioners releases the order for his expulsion from the country.

Stagg, who hails from Bristol, is reportedly wanted by the Avon and Somerset police for cases of fraud by false representation.

British authorities suspected that he was hiding in the Philippines after Stagg fraudulently sold watches on the Internet from October 2013 to June 2014.

The con artist allegedly made much as £20,000 by duping victims into paying for designer watches which were never delivered.

Authorities said Stagg allegedly set up companies in the Philippines which sold watches to customers in the United Kingdom at prices over £100.

Around 140 victims paid through bank accounts belonging to Stagg’s associates, who forwarded the money to Stagg in the Philippines.

Some of the victims said Stagg’s associates even threatened them when they tried to inquire with the company about the watches that were never delivered. CBB/rga