The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said its officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have barred from entering the country, a convicted American sex offender and an alleged Turkish fraudster.
In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the duo as American Michael David Steinborn, 57, and Turkish national Amol Awasthi, 48, who were turned away on separate occasions upon their arrival at the NAIA 3 terminal.
Steinborn was denied entry on November 26 upon arriving aboard a United Airlines flight from San Francisco, while Awasthi was intercepted the next day after he arrived via an Emirates flight from the United Arab Emirates.
Tansingco said the duo were denied entry for being deemed as undesirable aliens due to their past criminal records.
He cited the case of Steinborn, a registered sex offender (RSO), who was excluded based on a provision in the law that prohibits the entry of aliens who were convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude. Steinborn was reportedly convicted in Kissimmee, Florida in 1994 for indecent exposure, and is considered as a Tier 1 offender.
Awasthi, on the other hand, is the subject of an Interpol blue notice issued last year in connection with a criminal investigation against him, for alleged involvement in transactions that defrauded the Indian government.
BI bars US sex offender, Turkish fraudster at NAIA
Indian authorities suspected that Awasthi, and his cohorts conspired to cheat the Indian government by importing fertilizers and other products at inflated prices, and claiming government subsidy thereafter.
Awasthi and his accomplices were also accused of profiting from illegal commissions earned from sale of overpriced fertilizers and raw materials, and siphoning said commissions to their relatives and companies registered abroad.
Both Steinborn and Awasthi were booked and boarded on the next available flight to their port of origin following their exclusion.
Meanwhile, a blacklisted Chinese national was arrested by immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.
BI officers identified the man as Zhou Xingxing, 31, who attempted to depart for Guangzhou, China on Sunday.
Zhou was found to be the subject of a January 2023 order to leave from the BI for overstaying, and working for an online gaming company with an expired Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) license.
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