The Bureau of Immigration arrests blacklisted Chinese nationals at Zamboanga International Airport in a joint operation with law enforcement agencies.
The suspects were identified as Ying Guanzhen, 31; Yang Jinlong, 29; Liu Xin, 28; Shen Kan, 36; and Luo Honglin, 27.
According to the Bureau of Immigration (BI), two of the arrested individuals are fugitives wanted in China, while all five were previously linked to Lucky South 99, a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) company raided for alleged illegal activities.
Authorities revealed that the group attempted to flee the country through a backdoor route from Tawi-Tawi to Sabah, Malaysia, hiring a “transporter” to evade detection.
However, their escape plan failed when their boat’s engine malfunctioned near Languyan Island, Tawi-Tawi, where they were intercepted by officials from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The suspects were informed of their immigration violations and turned over to the Philippine National Police while awaiting deportation.