BI to deport alien fugitives

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has ordered the deportation of three foreign fugitives arrested recently by BI operatives in Metro Manila and Nueva Vizcaya.

In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente announced that said aliens, involving two Britons and a German, were arrested since last week in separate operations conducted by members of the Bureau’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) headed by BI Intelligence Officer Bobby Raquepo.

“We have received information that all three are wanted for serious crimes in their homelands, thus they will be deported immediately so they could be tried and jailed for their misdeeds,” the BI chief said. He added the fugitives are undocumented aliens as their passports were already cancelled by their governments.

On 7 August, a team of BI-FSU agents motored to the town of Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya where they arrested 53-year-old British national Stephen James Forrest, a convicted sex offender wanted by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency for violating the conditions of his probation.

Forrest was convicted in 2016 for sending indecent images depicting a restrained female minor and a picture of him with an older woman believed to be the child’s mother.

On 15 August, BI-FSU agents swooped down at the Light Residences condominium in Mandaluyong City and arrested German national Thomas Michael Heinig, 48, who is wanted for a string of fraud cases in his country.

Heinig has 21 pending cases of fraud and two cases of attempted fraud. He allegedly scammed several travel agencies in Germany of large sums of money by booking holiday tours with the latter and later canceling them after receiving refunds for fees he did not pay.

Last Friday FSU agents arrested at his room at the PSE Tower along Ayala Avenue, Makati City 54-year-old British national Simon Boulstridge Bailey, who is subject of an Interpol red notice in connection with a case for forgery that was filed against him in the United Kingdom.

Bailey allegedly conspired with another suspect in forging documents in order to misappropriate for themselves the stock investments of a deceased business partner.

“Sex offenders and fraudsters are not welcome in the country,” said Morente. These criminals have committed heinous crimes against their countrymen, and allowing them to stay in the Philippines puts Filipinos at great risk,” he added.

The trio are facing deportation charges and blacklisting from the country.