HUMAN INTEREST JANUARY 3, 2015 Bureau of Immigration INQUIRER PHOTO/ ALEXIS CORPUZ
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is set to deport the 55 Chinese nationals who were arrested last Tuesday for allegedly engaging in illegal online gambling business at the Bataan Freeport Zone (BFZ).
In a statement on Thursday, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said that the bureau’s legal division already filed immigration violation charges against the Chinese nationals for being “undocumented aliens and posing risk to public safety and security.”
“Our Board of Commissioners will soon issue a summary deportation order against them after which they will be flown to China to stand trial for their crimes,” Morente said.
Morente added that the Chinese illegals will also be placed on the immigration blacklist to prevent them from returning to the country.
The Chinese government, which sought their deportation due to their involvement in cyber fraud and illegal cyber gambling crimes here and in China, also canceled the passports they used.
Members of the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) in coordination with China police attaché Senior Supt. Fu Yun Fei and Authority of Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) administrator Emmanuel Pineda conducted the operation on Tuesday that led to the arrest of the 55 Chinese nationals.
READ: 17 undocumented Chinese nationals arrested in Bataan | 38 more Chinese illegals arrested in Bataan
The operation coincided with a similar crackdown of their accomplices in China that resulted in the arrest of undetermined number of suspects, according to Immigration OIC Associate Commissioner Jose Carlitos Licas.
“Operations were carried out after months of intensive surveillance by Chinese authorities and BI agents on the activities of the members of the gambling syndicate here and in China,” Licas said.
“The operation was properly coordinated with officials of the Bataan Freeport Authority and police attaché of the Chinese embassy in Manila,” he added.
The arrested Chinese nationals, pending deportation proceedings, are currently detained at the BI Detention Facility in Taguig.
They were identified as Chen Liuhui, Lin Qiulong, Lin Qiuhu, Lin Qinghua, Lin Qiuhuang, Zhu Chenhui, Chen Fan, Lin Tingting, Wu Xiongxiong, Lin Haiyan, Zhang Lili, Shen Weibing, Gao Qingshan, Shi Zhibin, Fang Jie, Chen Zhitian, Li Jianfeng, Huang Shuai, Wu Zhiwei, Wang Zhimin, Lin Junle, Zheng Jianyu, Lin Bing, Lin Jiali, Wang Xinwei, Zheng Binlin, Cai Zhihai, Fang Jun, Chen Zhimin, Lin Qiang, Wu Jianping, Zhu Chenglong, Liu Min, Huang Jianghui,Chen Jiaofu, Liu Lijian, Liu Liquan, Liu Lichen, Liu Zhentao, Liu Litao, Lai Jiemin, Lin Wenbin, Lai Denghui, Zhang Depan, Yang Qian, Peng Shoukun, Ran Qiyi, Zheng Shihua, Li Yangcheng, Lin Zhihui, Li Chao, Xu Liangxi, Yuan Maoxiang, Qiu Huasheng, and Lin Xiaopeng.
In November last year, the BI also arrested 1,316 illegal Chinese working in an illegal online gambling facility inside the Fontana Leisure Park of Chinese gaming tycoon Jack Lam in Clark Field, Pampanga.