An Australian and a Russian were arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for criminal charges they are facing in Panama and Russia, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the 37-year old Australian was arresred on March 18 at Terminal 1 while the 24-year old Russian was collared two days later at Terminal 3. 

Viado disclosed that the two fugitives were intercepted before they could board their outbound flights, adding that they were held after their names appear in the BI system of foreigners with derogatory records.

“They will be deported so they could be tried and punished for the crimes they committed after which they will be included in our blacklist and banned from re-entering the Philippines,” Viado said.

The Australian is wanted in Panama for beating up a man two years ago while the Russian was indicted before a court in Krasnodar City, Russia in May 2021 for fraudulently misappropriating the bank accounts who were duped into revealing their personal information to the suspects.