MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration reported Tuesday that 15 undocumented foreign nationals from China and Malaysia have been arrested for trying to enter the country through speedboats in Tawi-Tawi.
On Sept. 1, about 15 undocumented foreign nationals were arrested in Tawi-Tawi by law enforcement agencies.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco reported that the group included eight Chinese and seven Malaysians who had entered the Philippines on two speedboats.
The arrests were made by a joint team from the Maritime Industry Authority, Philippine Navy, and Philippine Army during a maritime patrol in the border areas.
“Early morning today, we received information from the patrolling agencies that those arrested have been transported to Bongao for processing,” said Tansingco.
Initial checks from the BI’s centralized database confirmed that the intercepted individuals are illegal entrants, as there is no record of their entry.
Tansingco stated that they are preparing to file deportation charges against the 15 individuals, who are believed to have attempted to enter the country for illegal work.
The BI official noted that the arrests were made during the patrolling of maritime agencies in the area.
The BI works closely with these agencies to take legal action against illegal entrants.
All 15 foreign nationals will face deportation charges and will be blacklisted in the country.
