Two undesirable aliens were stopped from entering the Philippines after one was found to be a convicted sex offender and the other a fugitive wanted in his country, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Wednesday, Nov. 29.
In a statement, the BI identified them as American Michael David Steinborn, 57, and Turkish national Amol Awasthi, 48. They arrived separately at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last Nov. 26 and 27.
They were barred entry for being undesirable aliens and booked on the next available flight to their ports of origin, Commissioner Norman Tansingco said.
The BI said that Steinborn, who arrived from San Francisco, United States, "is a registered sex offender (RSO) and was denied entry based on a provision in the law that prohibits the entry of aliens who were convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude.”
“Steinborn was reportedly convicted in Kissimmee, Florida in 1994 for indecent exposure and is considered as a Tier 1 offender,” it said.
On the other hand, “Awasthi is subject of an Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization) blue notice issued last year in connection with a criminal investigation against him for alleged involvement in transactions that defrauded the Indian government,” it also said.
The BI added: “Indian authorities suspected that Awasthi and his cohorts conspired to cheat the Indian government by importing fertilizers and other products at inflated prices and claiming government subsidy thereafter. Awasthi and his accomplices were also accused of profiting from illegal commissions earned from sale of overpriced fertilizers and raw materials and siphoning said commissions to their relatives and companies registered abroad."