Swiss sex offender intercepted at NAIA

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Sunday reported the arrest of a 66-year-old Swiss national wanted in his home country for child sex crimes as he attempted to leave the Philippines at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Authorities said that the man — identified as Heinz Arbenz — was intercepted on 29 September as he was about to board a flight to Bangkok, Thailand.

Immigration records show Arbenz has two previous convictions in Switzerland, dating back to 2017 and 2021, for crimes related to the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse materials.

In 2024, prosecutors in Switzerland’s Canton of Aargau initiated new cases against Arbenz for similar offenses. He is believed to have fled his country while those legal proceedings were underway.

Arbenz had been in the Philippines for more than three weeks before his arrest. The Bureau of Immigration suspects he has been traveling around Southeast Asia to target children.

Immigration commissioner Joel Viado condemned Arbenz’s activities and reaffirmed the BI’s commitment to identifying and deporting foreigners who exploit minors.

Arbenz is currently detained at the BI’s warden facility while awaiting deportation proceedings.

He will be placed on the bureau’s blacklist, which will permanently ban him from re-entering the country.