Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 arrested a Chinese national wanted by Interpol for crimes related to online gambling and telecommunications fraud.
The arrest forms part of the Marcos administration’s intensified campaign to weed out foreign fugitives and ensure that the Philippines is not used as a safe haven for international criminals.
The suspect, identified as Luo Wenchao, 24, was intercepted on June 28 as he attempted to depart for Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Luo is the subject of a red notice issued by Interpol in 2024. He is wanted by the Hanshan County Public Security Bureau in Anhui Province, China for violating laws on credit card management.
Records show that Luo, along with accomplices, allegedly purchased more than 18,700 sets of bank card kits in violation of state regulations. These were reportedly used in criminal operations such as online gambling and telecommunications fraud.
He was immediately turned over to the BI’s Border Control and Intelligence Unit for inquest and is now detained at the Bureau’s Warden Facility pending deportation proceedings.
In a separate case, BI officers also intercepted Cameroonian national Murielle Sandra Mbozo’o Epse Ze, 41, at NAIA Terminal 3 on July 3 after attempting to board a Philippine airlines flight for Milan, Italy.
Mbozo’o Epse Ze was referred for secondary inspection after immigration officers and airline personnel questioned the authenticity of her passport.
The document was submitted to the BI’s Forensic Documents Laboratory, which confirmed it to be counterfeit.
She was arrested and now also faces deportation proceedings.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado emphasized the importance of these arrests, stating: “These successful interceptions send a clear message: the Philippines is not a refuge for international fugitives. We remain firm in enforcing the law and protecting our country from criminal elements who think they can operate here with impunity.”
Viado added, “We thank our frontline officers and airport intelligence teams for their vigilance and coordination, which continue to uphold the integrity of our immigration system. Under the leadership of President Marcos, the Bureau of Immigration is committed to a ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ where lawlessness has no place at our borders.
