Immigration authorities have arrested a Japanese and a Korean who are both fugitives from justice in their country, authorities said Monday.
Arrested were Japanese Masaya Nonoyama and Korean national Lee Jong Hyun, who were nabbed separately in Taguig City and Dasmariñas, Cavite, respectively, by operatives from the Bureau’s Fugitive Search Unit.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said both aliens would be deported so they could face justice and be sentenced for crimes they committed in their homelands.
Nonoyama is wanted in Japan for embezzlement while Lee is an alleged fraudster and swindler in Korea. Both are detained at the Bicutan Detention Center pending deportation proceedings.
“The Bureau is weeding out these fugitives attempting to use the Philippines to hide and escape liability from their crimes in their homelands. Commissioner Morente has given strict orders to capture these fugitives and deport them immediately,” BI spokesperson Dana Krizia Sandoval said.
“They will also be banned from re-entering the country,” she added.
Nonoyama had been hiding in the country since September 2015, and already been overstaying.
He has issued an arrest warrant for “embezzlement in the pursuit of social activities” which is punishable with 10-year imprisonment under Japan’s penal code.
Lee, on the other hand, has also been overstaying as he has not left the country since he last arrived in January 2014.
He is reportedly in the Interpol’s red notice list and is wanted for swindling a compatriot of more than 3.5 million pesos, and for seven other fraud cases in Korea.
“Their passports have already been canceled by their governments, hence they are also considered undocumented aliens,” said Sandoval.