Chinese fugitive nabbed in Manila

MANILA, Philippines — A Chinese man who skipped bail after being charged for smuggling skimming devices into the country in 2016 was arrested in Binondo, Manila earlier this week.

Wu Hongsheng, alias Wu Hong Shen, 39, was working as a closed-circuit television system installer when he was caught in a sting on Tuesday afternoon by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region (CIDG-NCR) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

The lawmen served a warrant of deportation issued on Jan. 31 by BI Commissioner Jaime Morente.

Wu is also the subject of a case, pending since 2018, for violating the electronic financial transactions law before the Seoul Central District Court in South Korea. Violators face a maximum penalty of three years in prison.

CIDG-Manila field officer Lt. Col. Bryan Dexter Andulan said Wu was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for allegedly bringing into the country stolen credit cards; several skimming devices; access devices, specially bank cards, belonging to different owners; SIM cards; wiring connectors; laptops and accessories and other articles in commercial quantities on Aug. 31, 2016.

Wu was charged before the Pasay Regional Trial Court Branch 112 with violating the access devices regulation law. He was released after posting bail.

Wu is in police custody while awaiting his deportation, officials said.