Two foreigners – a South Korean and a Chinese – were arrested by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in Pasay City last Oct. 2 for alleged illegal activities.

Rendel Ryan Sy, chief of the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit (BI-FSU) identified the Korean national as Jang Haesung, 41, who was the subject of a mission order issued by Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado.

Sy said the BI received complaints on Jang’s involvement in illegal investment schemes that victimized Filipinos and South Korean nationals.

He said that Jang arrived in the Philippines in August 2024 and failed to renew his visa since then.

The Chinese national was identified by Sy as Zhang Shuiping, 38, who was also a subject of a mission order issued by Viado.

Sy said that Zhang was engaged in unlawful operations, like large-scale fraud, scams, and extortion schemes.

Zhang was known to frequent casinos where he falsely represented himself as an agent to obtain sensitive customer information for illicit purposes, Sy also said.

He said that the law enforcement sources even suspected Zhang to be connected to narcotics trading and to organized groups involved in kidnapping, drug syndicates, and prostitution activities in Metro Manila.

Zhang, Sy added, entered the Philippines in 2019 but the Chinese national’s last extension of stay was valid only until 2020.

In a statement, Viado said the arrests of the two foreigners serve as a stern warning against foreign nationals who are abusing Filipino hospitality.

"The Bureau of Immigration will continue to work closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure that illegal aliens will not be able to conduct criminal activities in the country," he also said.