Bureau of Immigration (BI) operatives have arrested a total of 28 foreigner-fugitives during the first half of the year.

In a report to Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente, the BI’s fugitive search unit (FSU) reported that despite the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, they remained active in locating and apprehending alien fugitives hiding in the country.

It was learned that the number of alien fugitives arrested from January to June was lower than the 32 wanted foreigners who were apprehended in the same period last year when the pandemic broke out.

“While admittedly we had much difficulty as our field operatives face exposure to virus, our officers remain steadfast in their duty to cleanse the country of these unwanted aliens,” Morente said.

FSU chief Rendel Sy said most of the arrested foreigners have already been deported and are now serving sentences for their crimes. They have also been banned permanently from returning to the Philippines.

Records showed that South Koreans topped the list of fugitives hiding in the Philippines in terms of nationality, with 19 nabbed during the first semester. The foreigners were usually wanted for fraud and illegal gambling cases.

The rest were four Americans, a Japanese, a French, an Italian, a Polish, and a Bahraini national.

Among the high profile fugitives who were captured was Frenchman Julien Barbier, who was wanted for narcotics trafficking; American John Dalton Daclan, who was wanted for a string of cases such as robbery, burglary, fraud, and battery; and Italian Antonello Ivaldi, a sex offender and alleged pedophile.

Records showed that it was in 2019 that the BI effected the biggest number of arrests of 425 fugitives, many of whom were Chinese nationals involved in illegal online gaming and telecom fraud operations.