Two foreign fugitives wanted in their countries for ciminal offenses have been arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) before they could take their flights abroad.

Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the two fugitives as Chinese national Zhao Yaxin, 33, and Moroccan national Badr Ettachi, 32.

“They will undergo deportation proceedings as a consequence of their status as fugitives from justice and afterwards we will expel and ban them perpetually from re-entering the Philippines for being undesirable aliens,” Tansingco said in a statement issued on Sunday, Feb. 4. 

Zhao and Ettachi are now detained at the BI’s Warden Facility located in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, he said.

Citing reports from the BI’s Border Control and Intelligence Unit (BI-BCIU), Tansingco said that Zhao and Ettachi were separately intercepted by immigration officers at NAIA Terminal 3 last Jan. 27 and 28, respectively. 

He said that Zhao, who was to depart for Guanzhou, China, is “one of 34 Chinese nationals whose deportation was sought by the Chinese government due to their involvement in illegal online gaming operations.”

 “A warrant of detention was reportedly issued against Zhao and his cohorts by the Chanqing Hechuan distict public security bureau in China,” the BI said. 

In the case of Ettachi, the BI said the Moroccan was "accused of pocketing US$60,000 intended for the salaries of seafarers and workers of a shipping vessel that was entrusted to him for delivery by a friend of the owner of the firm responsible for disbursing the said payroll money.”

“Ettachi allegedly absconded with the money and fled the UAE (United Arab Emirates) to evade prosecution for the crime which he supposedly committed in 2017,” it said.