6 illegal aliens arrested in Mindanao as crackdown intensifies at southern backdoor
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Sun, 26 May 2019 08:20:03 +0000
BUREAU of Immigration (BI) operatives arrested six illegal aliens in separate operations in Mindanao as the agency intensified its drive against undocumented foreigners entering the country through the southern backdoor.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente disclosed over the weekend that the bureau’s Mindanao intelligence task group (MITG) based in Davao City conducted the operations.
The illegal aliens were identified as Indonesians Jimbirs Da Lema and Supian Undingan, who were arrested in General Santos City; Warnakula Weerasuirya Jayathilaka a.k.a. Anton Rowel, a Sri Lankan; and Korean national Kim Yoonsig, who is on the BI blacklist, were arrested in separate operations in Tagum City, Davao del Sur.
Arrested in Davao City was American Branden Fitzgerald Dandridge; and Chinese Tony Co a.k.a. Alex Ubalde in Cagayan de Oro City. Both were overstaying.
“The apprehension of these illegal aliens stemmed from complaints we received regarding the activities of these undesirable foreigners in various places in the South. Hence, we encourage the public to report to us the presence of any illegal alien in their areas, and they are assured that these reports will be acted upon,” Morente said.
All six are now detained at the BI’s detention facility in Davao pending deportation proceedings.
Morente also disclosed that a total of 36 immigration border crossing officers have been deployed to the BI’s six border crossing stations in Mindanao and Palawan.
He said that each of these ports were being manned by six additional border crossing officers tasked to monitor and board and inspect travelers aboard sea craft that would regularly cross the country’s borders with Malaysia and Indonesia.
These stations are located in the ports of Brooke’s Point and Balabac in Palawan; Tibanban, Davao Oriental; Batuganding, Davao del Sur; and the islands of Taganak and Bongao in Tawi-Tawi.
The so-called southern backdoor route is from Sandakan, Sabah in Malaysia to either Zamboanga City or other nearby islands like Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, using a private sea craft and vice-versa. From Sabah, illegal aliens may take a flight to Kuala Lumpur and back.
Foreigners who enter and exit the country via these ports are mostly Malaysians and Indonesians engaged in barter, fishing and other commercial trading activities.
“Consequently, aside from thwarting the entry of suspected foreign terrorists and illegal aliens, these officers are also tasked to monitor and report on the activities of and apprehend human traffickers and illegal recruiters who smuggle their victims in or out of the country via the backdoor.I
migration authorities in the South have always been on a high state of alert since the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attack in the US.
The BI has a complete profile and pictures of suspected international terrorists and it would be hard for them to enter the country through standard routes.
Intelligence reports indicated that the foreign jihadists that fought side-by-side with the Maute group against government security forces in Marawi City entered the country through the backdoor. WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL
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