The Bureau of Immigration apprehended a departing Malaysian national, intercepted at Zamboanga City's international seaport, for allegedly entering the Philippines illegally.
The 32-year-old foreign national was arrested on October 16 while trying to board the M/V Antonio 1, a vessel bound for Sandakan, Malaysia.
BI Commissioner Joel Viado reported that the foreign national was prevented from departing after immigration officers found his name in the bureau's blacklist database.
The investigation later revealed that he had been previously excluded and barred from entering the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on December 9, 2023, due to his status as a blacklisted alien.
He was added to the blacklist on December 27, 2022, for illegally working in an online gaming hub that had its operating license canceled.
The foreign national was suspected of attempting to re-enter the country illegally, despite being barred from entry last year.
The Malaysian national was then transferred to the BI detention facility at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, where he will stay while deportation proceedings are underway.
