The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said its officers at the international airports in Manila and Cebu intercepted a German convict and Chinese illegal recruiter who were barred from entering the country for being undesirable aliens.
In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tangsingco said the two foreign passengers were intercepted last January 2 and 3 upon their arrival via flights at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) and Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Tansingco said the two aliens were both excluded and booked on the first available flight to their port of origin. They were later placed in the immigration blacklist which perpetually bans them from entering the country.
Intercepted at the MCIA last January 3 is German national Reiner Reinhold Heber, 63, an alleged recidivist and violent offender who was sentenced to nine-years imprisonment and attempted homicide.
He was turned back after arriving aboard a China Airlines flight from Taipei as immigration officers were already alerted about his trip by officials from the BI intelligence division.
Last January 2, a Chinese woman named Chen Qiaolin, 30, was denied entry upon arriving at the NAIA aboard Philippine Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur.
Chen’s name reportedly registered a hit in the Interpol database, prompting BI-NAIA officials to exclude and send her back to Malaysia.
Information from the Interpol’s National Central Bureau (NCB) in Manila revealed that Chen is wanted in China for human trafficking.
BI intercepts German convict, Chinese illegal recruiter
The Public Security Bureau of Feixi country in Anhui province, China alleged that Chen engaged in telecommunications fraud and illegal online gambling activities.
She was also charged with forging the travel documents of trafficking victims who were able to illegally enter Malaysia, Cambodia and other countries.
“We believe that she might be part of an illegal human trafficking syndicate deploying Chinese workers illegally to other Asian countries,” said Tansingco. “Hence her presence in the country poses as a threat to Filipinos,” he added.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported an increase in departures following the technical glitch experienced on New Year’s day.
According to BI Port Operations Divisions (POD) Chief Atty. Carlos Capulong, only a total of 19,010 travelers departed on January 1.
The number jumped to 41,757 the following day, and the BI continued to process around 34-37k travelers per day on the next few days.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that they expect the numbers to increase as those travelers from cancelled flights are rebooked to new flights.
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