The Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested four foreign nationals in separate operations over issues with their visas, the agency reported on Tuesday, February 17.

South African national Faaiz Ameer Garnie, 32, was arrested on February 12 after being found working for a company other than his petitioning employer, violating the terms of his 9G working visa.

He was apprehended at the work site where he was working as a project manager. He was unable to produce his passport or immigration documents at the time of inspection. He was later taken to the BI Main Office for booking and documentation.

During the same operation, another foreign national, identified as Imran Khattak, was discovered working at the site as an operations specialist without a valid working visa. As was done with Garnie, Khattak was taken into custody.

On February 13, the BI’s Intelligence Division operatives seized two Chinese nationals in Iloilo for overstaying and violating the terms of their stay. The two were identified as Wang Jiabai or Kevin Wang, 43, and Wang Libi, also known as Lisa, 46.

Wang Jiabai was managing a business establishment in Balasan. Records indicate that he had gone beyond his authorized period of stay. Wang Libi, on the other hand, had been working for a company other than her petitioning employer and failed to present a valid passport or immigration documents when inspected.

Both are presently under the custody of the BI Warden Facility, pending deportation proceedings

“Foreign nationals who choose to stay and work in the Philippines must comply with the conditions of their visas,” said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado.

“We will not tolerate violations of our immigration laws. Those who disregard our rules will face arrest and deportation,” he added.