Boracay: Bureau of Immigration (BI) intelligence agents have arrested two Chinese nationals after being found to be illegally working at a restaurant in Boracay. BI intelligence division Chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. stated that Zhang Ke, 34, and Li Jun, 40, were arrested on Monday.

According to Philippines News Agency, the duo was apprehended at a Chinese beachfront restaurant in Station 2. Zhang was discovered to be the owner of the restaurant, despite possessing an employment visa for a company based in Makati. Meanwhile, Li was working as the cook and could not provide his immigration documents, classifying him as an undocumented alien.

The two individuals were immediately transported to Manila for booking procedures. They arrived in Manila on September 23 and were subsequently transferred to the BI’s facility in Taguig, where they will stay while facing deportation proceedings. BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado commended the rapid coordination between the BI and law enforcement agencies in Boracay. He emphasized that Boracay is a prime tourist destination and that violations of immigration laws would not be tolerated.

The operation was carried out by operatives of the BI’s intelligence division (ID) Regional Intelligence Operations Unit 6, in cooperation with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Navy, and the Malay Police Station.

In a related development, the BI is preparing to file deportation cases against two Taiwanese nationals who were stopped for allegedly attempting to traffic five victims to work in suspected scam hubs abroad. Viado mentioned that the duo was detained on Monday after sponsoring five recruits for a pseudo-religious activity in Taiwan.

The victims, consisting of two females and three males in their 20s, attempted to depart for Taiwan from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3. They were traveling with Pan Hou-lin, 66, and Zeng You-De, 54, both Taiwanese nationals. Initially, the victims claimed they were invited to Taiwan to deliver a Buddha statue, organized by an alleged religious association. However, upon further investigation, they admitted they were headed to Thailand and Cambodia to work as customer service representatives.

Officers suspected the five individuals were bound for scam operations abroad, similar to previous cases that had been intercepted and repatriated. The victims revealed they were recruited on Facebook and Telegram, with promises of a salary between PHP40,000 to PHP50,000. They met at a house in Para±aque, where Pan and Zeng provided them with documents and instructions for their “story.”

The victims were rescued and handed over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), while the two Taiwanese nationals were turned over to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Women and Children’s Protection Center.