Immigration to deport Taiwanese fugitive

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is  preparing for the deportation of a Taiwanese fugitive allegedly involved in drugs, who was arrested in Cavite last Friday.

Lee Chun Hsien, 49 was arrested by the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit at his house in Cavite City.

“Based on our investigation, he (Lee) had been hiding in the Philippines for almost eight years and that he is already an overstaying alien,” BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said.

He explained that the Taipei Cultural Economic Office (TECO) requested for the arrest of Lee after informing the BI of his presence in the country.

Lee arrived in the Philippines on December 10, 2009 on a tourist visa. Morente said that Lee only applied for a visa extension once.

TECO alerted the BI a year later after the Taoyuan District Prosecutor’s Office issued a warrant against Lee on December 29, 2010.

However, TECO did not disclose details about Lee’s criminal offense or how he committed the crime.

BI spokesperson Atty. Ma. Antonette Mangrobang said that since the Taiwan government cancelled Lee’s passport, he is an undocumented alien and will thus be deported.

The deportation order will come from the BI’s Board of Commissioners. Ma. Daphne Crystal Umali, INQUIRER.net trainee/JE/rga