Suspected IS member deported to Kuwait

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and Immigration Commisioner Jaime Morente present couple suspected of being Islamic States on Thursday, April 6, 2017. BI identified the male suspect as Hussein Aldhafiri and the female as Raja Zina, his wife. (Photo from JOAN BONDOC / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Suspected Islamic State (IS) member Hussein Azo Aldhafiri was deported to Kuwait at noon on Good Friday.

Justice Undersecretary Erickson Balmes said Aldhafiri, who was arrested in Bonifacio Global City last March 25, shared the information, citing a report by the Fugitive Search Unit to Justice Secretart Vitaliano Aguirre II,

Aldhafiri was allegedly involved in explosives manufacturing and possibly on operational planning against Kuwait, according to the military.

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Hussein is identified as an IS middle-level leader and a brother of a former IS leader, now deceased.

There is no schedule yet for the deportation of Aldhafiri’s wife, Raja Zina.

Lawmakers also suspect that Aldhafiri is an operations head of Winston Q8, which facilitates medical tests of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) bound for Kuwait at a price heftier than the prevailing one of standard medical tests.

Lawmakers suspect the OFWs may have inadvertently funded the ISIS threat by applying at Winston Q8.

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Aldhafiri is also believed to be the brother of Robandar Aldhafiri, the president of Winston Q8.

The House of Representatives earlier investigated Winston Q8’s allegedly fraudulent scheme of charging OFWs at expensive rates to process their medical examinations for their visas to Kuwait.

According to a resolution filed by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, Winston Q8 charges Kuwait-bound OFWs at P8,400 per worker for medical tests and facilitation of their visa applications, even though the prevailing price of the standard medical tests for overseas job applicants is only at P2,500.

Winston allegedly earns P560 million annually from the purported fraudulent scheme.

According to a resolution filed by ACTS-OFW Rep. John Bertiz, Winston Q8 allegedly “conspired” with medical clinics to “monopolize” medical testing to increase the fees from P8,500 to P9,600 even though the prevailing rate was only at P2,300.

Bertiz earlier expressed fear that the money from Filipinos bound for Kuwait is funding the IS through this scheme. /atm

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