A South African national wanted by authorities in Kenya for sexual assault was arrested by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in a joint operation led by its Fugitive Search Unit along P.J. Burgos Street, Mandaue City, Cebu, on March 18.

Arrested was Michael James Noble Ballantine, also known as Michael James Ballantine, a 42-year-old South African national who is the subject of an Interpol Red Notice for charges of sexual assault and compelled indecent acts under Kenya’s Sexual Offences Act of 2006.

According to reports received by the BI through the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime, Ballantine is wanted by Kenyan authorities for incidents that allegedly occurred in August 2024, where he reportedly assaulted victims inside his vehicle.

A warrant of arrest was issued against him by a Kenyan court in September 2024, and an Interpol Red Notice was subsequently published in October 2024 after he evaded capture.

Records from the BI showed that Ballantine arrived in the Philippines in December 2024 as a temporary visitor. He has since overstayed, with his authorized stay expiring in 2025. He was also placed under blacklist and watchlist orders that same year for being an undesirable alien and a fugitive from justice.

He was intercepted after filing an application at the BI’s Cebu District Office.

“Foreign nationals who commit crimes, especially those involving sexual offenses, are not welcome in the Philippines,” BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said.

“We will not allow our country to be used as a refuge by fugitives attempting to evade justice in their home countries.”

Viado stressed the importance of strong coordination among law enforcement agencies in addressing transnational crimes.

The suspect is currently under BI custody in Region 7 and will undergo deportation proceedings.

He will remain in detention pending confirmation of his deportation and inclusion in the BI blacklist to prevent his re-entry into the country.