The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has announced the arrest of two wanted foreign fugitives who recently attempted to leave the country via the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the two passengers as Chinese national Zhao Yaxin, 33 years old, and Moroccan national Badr Ettachi, 32 years, who were intercepted separately over the weekend by operatives of the BI’s border control and intelligence unit (BCIU) at the NAIA.
Zhao was arrested Jan. 27 at the NAIA terminal 3 before he could board his outbound flight to Guangzhou, China while Ettachi was apprehended the next day as he was about to leave for Singapore.
“They will undergo deportation proceedings as a consequence of their status as fugitives from justice and afterwards we will expel and ban them perpetually from re-entering the Philippines for being undesirable aliens,” Tansingco said.
Zhao is wanted by Chinese authorities for involvement in economic crimes while Ettachi is subject of an Interpol notice which stemmed from an embezzlement case that was filed against him in the UAE.
Zhao is one of 34 Chinese nationals whose deportation was sought by the Chinese government due to their involvement in illegal online gaming operations.
A warrant of detention was reportedly issued against Zhao and his cohorts by the Chanqing Hechuan distict public security bureau in China.
Ettachi, on the other hand, was accused of pocketing $60,000 intended for the salaries of seafarers and workers of a shipping vessel that was entrusted to him for delivery by a friend of the owner of the firm responsible for disbursing the payroll money.
Ettachi allegedly absconded with the money and fled the UAE to evade prosecution for the crime which he supposedly committed in 2017.
Both foreigners were committed to the BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City pending deportation proceedings.
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