By Guillermo Abad
Manila, (PNA) — The Bureau of Immigration has detained 14 foreigners arrested by the police last month for involvement in cyber crimes.
BI Officer-in-Charge Siegfred Mison disclosed the bureauarrested the nine Taiwanese and five Chinese nationals after learning they had posted bail and were about to be released from the Las Piñas City Jail.
He said the foreigners will remain behind bars at the BIDetention Center in Bicutan, Taguig while undergoing deportation proceedings.
But Mison stressed that the BI will not deport the aliensuntil the court has rendered its verdict on their case.
“If convicted, they will have to serve their sentences first before being deported,” he said, adding the aliens’ detention at the BI jail will ensure they do not leave the country while under trial for their crime.
Mison declared that the BI’s “good guys in, bad guys out”campaign is in full swing and that more arrests of illegal aliens will be made in the next few weeks.
According to Atty. Jose Carlitos Licas, BI acting intelligence chief, the foreigners were among the 35 Chinese and Taiwanese nationals arrested by police anti-cyber crime operatives in Manila, Las Piñas City, and Imus, Cavite last Aug. 6.
Licas said members of the PNP’s Anti-Cyber crime Group raided the suspects’ lairs on the strength of a search warrant issued by the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 46 Judge Rainelda Montesa.
The lawmen reportedly seized from the suspects severalgadgets, including computers, internet routers and credit cards, used in their illegal activities.
Police said the cyber crime syndicates have victimized many rich people in Mainland China and Taiwan who were coerced into giving large sums of money after being blackmailed by the suspects.
Charges of violating the Access Devices Regulation Act were later filed against the aliens before the Department of Justice.
Meanwhile, the BI said it is searching for a new home.
Ma. Angelica Pedro, BI spokesperson, said: “We need a bigger space to accommodate the growing number of immigration personnel.
“Right now, we have 2,000 plus BI employees and we must find a new place within six months.”