A Japanese national wanted in his home country for theft was nabbed by Bureau of Immigration (BI) agents at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 after feigning distress by bumping his head on the immigration counter.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the Japanese as Saito Shimoeda, 25. He was nabbed while attempting to flee the country on a Cebu Pacific flight bound for Nagoya, Japan, on November 16.
The arrested fugitive was placed in the bureau’s blacklist and is now classified as an undesirable alien by Philippine immigration.
Tansingco said he will be in the BI’s facility in Bicutan, Taguig pending implementation of his deportation.
Reportedly, upon detection of Shimoeda’s alert list order during departure formalities, he resorted to alarming tactics, intentionally bumping his head on the immigration counter and feigning distress.
The BI on-duty supervisor then confirmed that Shimoeda is a subject of an arrest warrant issued by the Tokyo Summary Court for being part of a large-scale telecom fraud group.
According to Tansingco, the suspect was said to be working as a fraudulent caller for a criminal group victimizing his compatriots while he is overseas.
Records further revealed that Shimoeda entered the Philippines in 2019 and has since eluded arrest.
“The incident serves as a stern warning to foreign fugitives that the Philippines is not a safe haven for those attempting to escape legal repercussions in their home countries,” he said. “We urge foreign nationals to respect Philippine laws and warn that the government is committed to cooperating with international authorities to ensure the swift and just resolution of such cases,” Tansingco said.
