Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers at the Clark International Airport (CIA) announced the arrest of a Taiwanese who is wanted in his home country for drug-related crimes, and two Indians who were caught using fake immigration stamps.
BI Intelligence Division Chief Fortunato Manahan Jr., identified the arrested Taiwanese as Lai Po Ving, 33, and the two Indians as Amritpal, 30, and Pritpal Singh, 24, who all attempted to board a Tiger Air flight bound to Singapore last October 6.
According to Manahan, Lai initially presented his Turkish passport bearing the name Lai Bulut along with his Special Investor’s Resident Visa (SIRV) card.
After further verification of his travel history and documents, it was learned that Lai is the subject of a summary deportation order issued last April 2021 for violation of the terms and conditions of his stay under the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940.
Lai was also discovered to be wanted by the Taiwan Police Attaché for violation of the Anti-Illegal Drug Act.
“He tried to evade prosecution for his crime by using his Turkish passport, but his plan was foiled by our officers who were very thorough in checking his records,” said Manahan.
Meanwhile, Amritpal and Singh were apprehended for having passports that were affixed with counterfeit Philippine entry visas, visa extension stickers, and arrival stamps.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco then expressed his dismay towards the incident. “These attempts to use visas and stamps to clear immigration inspection are futile. Our officers undergo rigorous training to detect dubious documents, ” he said.
Tansingco further commended the officers, however, for the triple apprehension. “These arrests are a testament to our officers’ vigilance in manning our ports,” said Tansingco. “Rest assured that we will remain true to our mission to contribute to national security and development,” he added.
The erring aliens were turned over to the BI’s Legal Division pending deportation proceedings.
About the Author
