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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Foreigner 'thief' inside planes on flights barred entry to PH

Foreigner 'thief' inside planes on flights barred entry to PH

Published Jan 27, 2026 04:00 pm
A foreigner, who is suspected to be a member of a syndicate involved in thefts while commercial planes are on flights, has been barred from entering the Philippines, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Tuesday, Jan. 27.
The BI identified the foreigner as Chinese national Zhou Wei, 52, who arrived last Jan. 20 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 from Malaysia.
“Upon arrival, Zhou was immediately intercepted and denied entry into the Philippines,” it said.
It added that Zhou was immediately boarded back to his country of origin and included in the BI’s blacklist to prevent his reentry to the Philippines.
It noted that the BI was alerted of Zhou’s arrival through the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS).
The APIS stated that “Zhou is the member of an organized criminal group consisting of Chinese citizens who are involved in committing thefts on board the aircrafts of various airlines.”
The BI said: “Crimes commonly involve stealing money in cash from hand luggage of other passengers. According to the available information, gang members usually take hand luggage from overhead compartments, return to their seats and check the luggage content for cash and other valuables.”
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