Latest news with #JoelAnthonyViado
GMA Network
2 days ago
- GMA Network
BI reports 'sharp rise' in PH foreign fugitive arrests
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported Monday a "sharp rise" in the number of foreign fugitive arrests in the Philippines during the first half of 2025. According to the BI, immigration personnel nabbed a total of 268 foreign fugitives from January to June, up from the 69 arrests during the same period last year. "The Philippines will not be a hiding place for fugitives. We are determined to flush them out and send them back to face justice," Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said. "Our continued cooperation with foreign governments and international law enforcement agencies will ensure that the Philippines remains a secure nation from these fugitives," he said. Among those arrested was Lee Jihwan, a Korean who was nabbed arrested in January in Talisay City, Cebu for violent robbery in South Korea. Another Korean, Chu Hoyong, was collared in February for defrauding victims of KRW 2.26 billion using fake real estate collateral. He is considered a high-value target by Korean authorities and is allegedly linked to telecom fraud operations in the Philippines. Meanwhile, four Japanese believed to be members of the "Luffy" syndicate, were arrested between January and April. They are wanted in their home country for theft, allegedly impersonating police officers to gain entry into homes and carry out robberies. In May, seven more Japanese connected with the "JP Dragon" syndicate were apprehended for similar crimes. The group is known for targeting elderly victims by posing as authorities and stealing their automated teller machine (ATM) cards and banking details. Their alleged leader, Ryuji Yoshioka, was apprehended in Angeles City, Pampanga last June. The arrested individuals will undergo deportation proceedings and are to be expelled from the country for being undesirable aliens. Last week, the BI said it deported more than 1,400 foreigners during the first six months of 2025 for violating the country's immigration laws. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
5 days ago
- GMA Network
1,422 foreigners deported from Jan-June for immigration violations
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Friday it deported more than 1,400 foreigners from January to June this year for violating the country's immigration laws. Data from the BI showed a total of 1,422 foreigners were expelled from the country for violating immigration laws—a significant increase from the 717 deportees reported during the same period last year. Of the deportees, 231 were Vietnamese, 41 were South Koreans, 41 were Malaysians, and 37 were Burmese. The majority of the deportees were foreigners found to be working in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) firms despite the ban. 'Our strengthened deportation protocols follow the directive of the President to act swiftly and remove foreigners who abuse our people's hospitality,' said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado. 'We will continue expediting the deportation of foreign nationals who violate our laws,' he added. Viado earlier reported improvements in deportation protocols, including fast-tracking clearances in partnership with the National Bureau of Investigation, immediate resolution of cases suspected to be filed under the ''demanda me'' scheme, regular coordination with embassies for swift issuance of travel documents, and opening of a new holding facility for arrested aliens. 2 Sudanese nabbed Meanwhile, immigration authorities apprehended two Sudanese in San Carlos City, Pangasinan, for violating the country's immigration measures. Identified as Moneeb Ahmed Mohamed Yousif, 32, and Zaki Azhari Elzubair Basheer, 41, the suspects were arrested in a residence along M. Soriano St. on Tuesday, July 22. They are now detained at the BI detention facility in Taguig while awaiting deportation proceedings. An initial investigation showed the BI intelligence personnel launched an operation against Moneed after he was found to be staying in the country despite allegedly failing to update his visa. Zaki, meanwhile, was accused of harboring the illegal alien, violating the Philippine immigration laws. The suspects failed to present valid passports or travel documents during the arrest, rendering them undocumented foreign nationals. ''During the arrest, Basheer resisted and hurled expletives at the operatives. While in the premises of the San Carlos City Police Station, he requested to use the restroom but attempted to escape through the back of the building. He was immediately pursued and recaptured by BI agents,'' the BI said. —VBL, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
21-07-2025
- Filipino Times
BI warns vs. ‘mail-order bride' schemes after foiled trafficking attempt
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) warned the public against the 'mail-order bride' schemes following the interception of a Filipina at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) who attempted to leave the country for an arranged marriage in China. In a statement, BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said such schemes are resurfacing where suspects often deceive women with promises of a better life abroad. 'The mail-order bride trap is rising again—all promise[s] upfront, tricking women into fake marriages and exploiting them as domestic workers with little or no pay,' he added. A 24-year-old woman was stopped on July 15 by officers from the Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) as she attempted to board a Xiamen Airlines flight to Xiamen, China. She claimed she was traveling with her brother to meet her Chinese husband, whom she had recently married. However, her marriage certificate had a visibly altered date, and her marriage license was issued after the reported wedding, raising suspicions. The woman later admitted that both the marriage and the documents were fake. She told authorities that a recruiter had offered her ₱8,000 and promised her a better life if she agreed to an arranged marriage with a Chinese national. The BI said the woman and her companion were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) under the Department of Justice for further investigation and assistance. Earlier this year, BI intercepted two other Filipinas at NAIA who claimed they were going to China to meet their Chinese spouses. Upon investigation, officers discovered that both were married on the same date and time as two other victims. They later admitted their marriages were also fake and arranged by a third party.
Khaleej Times
20-07-2025
- Khaleej Times
Philippines cracks down on rising 'mail-order bride' scams, warns against fake marriages
The Philippines' Bureau of Immigration (BI) has issued a warning to the public about the resurgence of 'mail-order bride' schemes. This comes after a Filipina woman was recently stopped from leaving the country for China, where she was set to enter into an arranged marriage with a Chinese man, according to 'The mail-order bride trap is rising again — all promise(s) upfront, tricking women into fake marriages and exploiting them as domestic workers with little or no pay,' BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said in a statement. The BI reported that on July 15, personnel from its Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-Probes) stopped a 24-year-old woman at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia). She had been preparing to board a Xiamen Airlines flight to Xiamen, China. The woman initially told immigration officers she was travelling with her brother to reunite with her Chinese husband, whom she claimed to have recently married. However, authorities noticed irregularities in the documents she submitted. 'The marriage certificate showed a visibly altered date, and the marriage license was issued after the wedding — raising serious inconsistencies,' the I-Probes said in its report. After further questioning, the woman admitted that both the marriage and the documents she carried were "fake". She revealed that a recruiter had promised her an improved quality of life in exchange for agreeing to the arranged marriage. She had already received P8,000 (Dh500) from the man she was supposed to marry, to cover her travel expenses. The BI said the woman and the man posing as her brother were handed over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking under the Department of Justice for additional investigation and support. This isn't the first such incident this year. The BI previously intercepted two Filipino women in their early 20s at Naia who also claimed they were headed to China to join their Chinese husbands. Although they said they had been married for some time, inconsistencies in their statements led I-Probes to discover that both weddings happened on the same day and at the same hour. Eventually, the two women confessed that their marriage was "fake". It was also revealed that two additional women are also being wed to Chinese men during the same arranged ceremony, with all paperwork facilitated by an unidentified third party.
GMA Network
15-07-2025
- GMA Network
BI warns Pinoys vs 'love scam' job offers abroad
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has warned the public against ''love scam'' job offers abroad. This developed after the BI recently rescued and repatriated a 24-year-old Filipino from Cambodia, who was lured into working in a 'love scam' hub in Phnom Penh despite being promised a position as a customer service representative in an online betting company. According to the victim, he received the job offer from a former colleague. He was instructed to fly to Taiwan before taking a subsequent flight to Cambodia. Upon arrival, the victim said his employer required him to contact American citizens via social media platforms and dating applications, initiating contact under the pretense of a mistakenly sent ''wrong message'' text. He would then engage in flirtatious exchanges with the unsuspecting targets before introducing them to the company's investment platform. He managed at least three fake female profiles and communicated with the target victims through chat and video calls. For video calls, he would use the same photos in the fraudulent profiles to interact with the victims. If he failed to meet performance expectations and the grueling 15-hour work shifts, the victim said his employer would tap his head with force or activate stun batons near him to intimidate and instill fear. 'These aren't just your run-of-the-mill online scams—we're talking about full-blown operations linked to human trafficking,' said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado in a press statement. 'Victims aren't just losing money; they're being thrown to do shady deals,' he said. The victim returned to the Philippines on July 13 after a rescue operation coordinated with the Philippine Embassy in Cambodia. Viado said the BI is closely monitoring the situation and has passed all gathered intel to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking to investigate the recruiters and anyone linked to the victims' illegal deployment. —VBL, GMA Integrated News
