NATION

BI arrests foreign national on Interpol watchlist

Neil Alcober · Jul 21, 2026, 6:15 PM

Chinese fugitives wanted in China for large-scale fraud and illegal online gambling were arrested in Parañaque by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, which coordinated with Chinese authorities to track down key members of the Qianneng Wallet syndicate and crack down on foreign criminals abusing the country’s immigration system.

Operatives of the Bureau of Immigration have intercepted and excluded an INTERPOL-flagged foreign national through the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS), preventing his entry into the Philippines.

On 10 July, the BI's APIS Operations Center detected an INTERPOL alert on an arriving 49-year-old Omani national, whose identity is being withheld due to ongoing security concerns.

The passenger was scheduled to arrive at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 from Doha, Qatar,the evening of the same day—more than nine hours after the alert was detected, providing authorities ample time to prepare an appropriate response.

Upon receiving the alert, APOC immediately coordinated with the BI INTERPOL Unit for verification. Following confirmation of the INTERPOL notice, the BI Anti-Terrorist Group was promptly notified to undertake the necessary operational measures.

The alert was generated through the UN goTravel Advance Passenger Information System deployed by the BI in partnership with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, with the strong support of the Government of Australia. The system enables Philippine border authorities to screen passenger information against international watchlists before travelers arrive in the country.

Personnel from the BI Anti-Terrorist Group intercepted the passenger upon arrival and conducted the necessary investigation.

Based on the received information, the subject was assessed as likely to travel internationally to participate in terrorist activities. Consequently, the foreign national was excluded and denied entry into the Philippines in accordance with existing immigration laws and national security protocols.