3 BI officers probed for allegedly helping former offshore gaming workers evade checks
Four Chinese nationals attempted to evade an inspection at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal.
The Philippines.- Three Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers have been removed from their positions and are under investigation for allegedly helping four Chinese nationals avoid immigration checks at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1.
Four people, identified as Zhang Zhaoya, Wang Linmei, Qi Xiangyang, and Chen Wenda, were intercepted by officers of the Bureau’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) as they tried to board separate flights to China and Vietnam.
BI commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said: “Any personnel found to have assisted in the circumvention of immigration procedures will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to Viado, Zhang has been overstaying his visa since July 2024. Wang and Qi had been overstaying since September 2024. Chen has a valid work visa but was found without the Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC) necessary for long-term residents to leave the country.
Viado said: “This interception reflects the Bureau’s firm resolve to prevent foreign nationals who violate our immigration laws from escaping accountability. We are implementing redundancy checks, utilizing CCTV monitoring systems, and strengthening coordination among our units to prevent these attempts.”
89 deported from the Philippines for alleged links to offshore gambling
Last week, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) reported that 77 Vietnamese citizens and 12 South Koreans have been deported for alleged links to illegal offshore gaming operators.
Gilbert Cruz, PAOCC executive director, said those deported were arrested in a series of raids and that 51 more foreign nationals would be deported in the coming days following the issuance of implementation orders from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and clearances from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). A delegation led by Cruz travelled to Vietnam and met with colonel Le Khac Son, the deputy director of Vietnam’s Criminal Police Department, to enhance cooperative efforts.
