The Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported the arrest of seven Chinese nationals found working in a quarry in the province of Batangas on Wednesday.

According to BI Intelligence Division (BIID) Chief Fortunato Manahan Jr., the seven Chinese men were arrested during an operation carried out by its Regional Intelligence Operations Unit (RIOU) IV-A in collaboration with government intelligence services and the Taysan Municipal Police Station.

Manahan disclosed that their initial target was Wang Zhenglai, 34, who had a working visa but was discovered to have been petitioned by a phony firm. However, throughout their operations, they were able to catch six other people who were unlawfully operating in the same location.

The BIID chief added that, aside from Wang, five additional workers were confirmed to have a 9(g) working visa but were petitioned by firms in Quezon City. One was found to be working on a tourist visa.

One of the seven workers, Wang Shou Min, 67 years old, was identified as the “Big Boss” of the mining company and the father of Wang Zhenglai.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco emphasized that working visas are both company- and station-specific. “Foreign nationals who possess a working visa but are found to be petitioned by fake companies or caught working in other locations may face deportation cases,” Tansingco stated.

According to Tansingco, using bogus companies as petitioners is becoming more common after the recent finding of foreigners presenting fraudulently obtained documents to stay in the country.