MANILA, Philippines — Bureau of Immigration operatives arrested over the weekend a Taiwanese fugitive who has been hiding in the Philippines for more than two years.
Immigration spokesman Dana Sandoval said on Sunday that Chien Wen-Chieh, 33, was arrested in an enforcement operation in Pasay City.
Sandoval said Chien was apprehended pursuant to a duly issued mission order following official communication from Taiwanese authorities, which identified him as a fugitive from justice.
The operation was conducted by the BI Fugitive Search Unit in coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation–Organized and Transnational Crime Division.
“It is part of the government’s intensified campaign against immigration violators and foreign fugitives,” Sandoval said.
Chien is the subject of an arrest warrant issued on August 31, 2023 by the Taiwan Miaoli District Prosecutor’s Office for theft.
BI verification revealed that Chien last entered the Philippines in 2023 as a temporary visitor but failed to extend or convert his visa, rendering him an overstaying and undesirable alien.
The BI said his continued presence posed a risk to public safety and security.
Chien is facing deportation proceedings.
