The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Tuesday, April 15, urged the public to report suspicious activities of foreign nationals who may be involved in scam operations.
“We call on the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activities involving illegal aliens,” said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado in a statement.
The BI made the call following the arrest of 86 foreign nationals last April 10 at a scam operation discovered inside a condominium in Makati City.
“This operation highlights the continuing threat posed by illegal aliens who exploit digital platforms to scam and defraud innocent victims across borders,” Viado said.
“We remain relentless in upholding President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to deport illegal foreign nationals involved in illicit activities,” he assured.
He said the Makati City operation was conducted by operatives of the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit (BI-FSU) in coordination with the National Capital Region Field Unit (NCRFU) of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).
Those arrested included 82 Chinese, three Malaysians and one Vietnamese, all of whom failed to present proper documentation concerning their stay and work status in the Philippines, he also said.
“The presence of foreign nationals working without proper documentation and engaging in criminal activity is a serious breach of our laws and national security,” he declared.