At least 192 foreign nationals were arrested by Bureau of Immigration (BI) operatives involved in illegal online scam operations and other immigration violations.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the operation was conducted in a building along Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue Extension and Macapagal Blvd in Pasay City, following reports of unauthorized employment and illegal activities of foreign nationals operating in the country.
The foreigners are now detained at the BI jail facility in Taguig and will be deported.
The operation was carried out by joint operatives from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), Department of Justice – Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (DOJ-IACAT), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and apprehended foreign nationals mostly Chinese, Vietnamese, and other nationalities.
“These individuals were found engaging in unauthorized employment and illegal operations, in violation of the Philippine Immigration Act,” Viado said.
Viado said the operation reflects the Bureau’s commitment to enforcing immigration laws and safeguarding the nation’s borders.