MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration said it arrested and deported 232 foreign fugitives, including so-called “high value targets,” last year.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said in a statement Monday, January 8, that this was 97 more fugitives captured than the 135 in 2016.
BI intelligence officer Bobby Raquepo, who heads the fugitive search unit, said among the high value targets they bagged were Hussein Aldhafiri, a Kuwaiti bomb maker and suspected ISIS member, captured in Taguig City in March on suspicion of plotting to attack a mosque and a military base in his country; his companion, Syrian Rahaf Zina, allegedly the widow of the late Abu Jandal, former ISIS leader in Iraq; and American Yoshikoson Umeko Haddon, wanted in Virginia for capital murder, killing for hire and solicitation.
All the deported fugitives were also placed on the BI blacklist and will be prevented from reentering the country.
Of the 232 fugitives, 178 were arrested on the strength of mission orders issued by Morente, 41 were subjects of deportation warrants issued on orders of the BI board of commissioners, and the rest were either turned over, have surrendered or were intercepted at the airports.
Chinese nationals topped the list, with 131, followed by 61 Koreans, 36 Taiwanese, and 11 Americans.
