7 illegal Chinese miners arrested

SEVEN Chinese nationals were arrested Wednesday by a joint immigration-police team in Taysan, Batangas after they were found to be working in a quarry in the municipality.

Bureau of Immigration Intelligence Division chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. said the operation was conducted by their men assisted by the police regional intelligence operations unit in Calabarzon and the Taysan police.

Manahan said the initial target of the operation was Chinese Wang Zhenghai but they were able to apprehend six more Chinese who were found to be illegally working in the same quarry.

“Apart from Wang, the five others were found to be possessing a working visa, but were petitioned by companies located in Quezon City. One was found to be working with merely a tourist visa,” Manahan said.

One of the apprehended workers, 67-year-old Wang Shou Min, is the “big boss” of the quarry operation and the father of Wang Zhenhai, Manahan said citing information provided to the raiding team.

Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said working visas are both company and station-specific, adding that the Chinese nationals who have working visas violated the rule because they are not working on the companies that their working visas specify they are employees.