Blacklisted Pakistani man arrested in Zamboanga del Sur

DAVAO CITY (June 21) -Immigration operatives have arrested a blacklisted Pakistani national in Barangay Tiguma, Pagadian City, for illegally re-entering and staying in the Philippines despite a long-standing ban.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed Saturday that Sajjad Khan, 31, was apprehended on June 16 by its Intelligence Division, acting on a mission order signed by Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado. Intelligence reports revealed that Khan had slipped back into the country through the so-called “backdoor” route—entering by boat without legal travel documents.

BI records show Khan has been on the government’s blacklist since 2016 and had no valid visa or permit. He now faces charges for violating Section 37(a)(1) of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 for illegal entry and for being an undocumented alien.

Following his arrest, Khan was first processed at the Zamboanga del Sur Police Provincial Office before being transferred under tight security to the Bureau of Immigration’s Warden Facility at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, where he remains in custody pending deportation proceedings.

The operation was conducted in close coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the 53rd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, underscoring the government’s intensified crackdown on foreign nationals who defy Philippine immigration laws.