by Miriam G. Desacada
Tacloban City–A 46-year-old Indian national was arrested by operatives of the Regional Intelligence Office Unit (RIOU) of the Bureau of Immigration-Region 8 (BI-8) in the morning of Tuesday (May 2).
The Indian, identified as Tejinder Singh, was arrested in his residence at Purok 3 of Barangay Obrero in Calbayog City, Samar for possession of an allegedly fake residence visa.
The BI-8 operatives, carrying out mission order 2023047, conducted the arrest of Singh, who had been staying in the country for the past eight years. The operation was in coordination with the Calbayog City Police.
“Singh failed to show his passport and instead provided his driver’s license,” stated the report of BI-8’s RIOU, following the arrest.
Immigration authorities immediately transported Singh to the BI main office in Manila where he underwent necessary procedures such as the RT-PCR tests and medical examinations before he was endorsed to the bureau’s Legal Division for preliminary investigation.
Singh is expected to face cases of fraud and misrepresentation for staying in the Philippines under a residence visa that was allegedly fake and obtained allegedly by fraudulent means.
The RIOU, headed by regional intelligence chief Randy Mendoza, said the custody of Singh was properly turned over to the BI in Manila, under Commitment Order no. LD-CO-2023-100. —Miriam G. Desacada