The Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported the arrest of a Taiwanese national who was wanted by the Taipei authorities for alleged corrupt activities while serving as an army commander in Taiwan.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the arrested fugitive as Li Chen Yu, 36-year-old, who was arrested last Thursday, 15 February, in Brgy. Banilad, Cebu City, by a joint operation of the BI Fugitive Search Unit (BI-FSU) and the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).

Tansingco said the arresting officers were armed with a warrant of deportation that he signed pursuant to a summary deportation order that the BI board of commissioners issued against Li in December 2021. 

“Aside from issuing a deportation order, the board also ordered his inclusion in our blacklist and banned him from re-entering the country for being an undesirable alien,” the BI chief added.

According to the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Manila, the Taoyuan district prosecutor's office has filed an arrest order for the fugitive on the grounds that he violated Taiwan's anti-corruption statute and criminal code.

Li allegedly committed the crime while he served as a captain in Taiwan's 6th Army Command's military dependent service division, where one of his responsibilities was to handle public queries and applications for leases.

However, he reportedly abused his position and committed fraud by forging lease contracts for lands reserved for the dependents of military servicemen.

More than 4 million Taiwanese dollars, or around US$128,000, were reportedly pilfered by Li from fraudulently obtained rental payments and deposits from prospective tenants.

Based on Li’s travel records, it showed that he last arrived in the country on 8 March 2020; thus, he is already an overstaying alien. He is also undocumented due to the revocation of his passport by the Taiwanese government.

The Taiwanese is now detained at the BI Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, pending his deportation proceedings.