The immigration agency is asking for help to extradite a fugitive accused of fraud

• By Yao Chieh-hsiu and Jason Pan / Staff Reporters

The government has asked for help from other countries to extradite a Spanish fugitive who was denied entry to Singapore and took a flight back to the passenger restricted area of ​​Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.

Salvador Alejandro Llinas Onate was deported to Singapore on Saturday and is not allowed to re-enter Taiwan as Interpol has issued a “Red Notice” for his arrest. He is also wanted by Spanish and Italian authorities, the National Immigration Agency (NIA) said.

The NIA said it is working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to extradite him to Spain and is seeking assistance in his return so he can face legal punishment for allegedly operating a car rental scam in Italy.

Photo: Tony Yao, Taipei Times

When he arrived in Taiwan yesterday morning, the NIA denied him re-entry; he is allowed to remain in the airport’s security restricted area for air travelers, the NIA said.

The NIA said it has arranged a room for him, provides him with three meals a day and is free to communicate with relatives and lawyers.

Llinas Onate has been charged by Italian prosecutors with allegedly leading a €30 million (US$32.6 million) car rental scam and setting up a fraudulent company in Trento, Italy. He obtained permanent residency in Taiwan in 2021 after entering via a dependent visa in 2019.

The NIA said it had ordered him on October 14 to leave the country within 10 days.

The Taipei High Administrative Court ruled on Saturday that the deportation was flawed and ordered Llinas Onate’s release, but it came too late as NIA agents had escorted him on a flight to Singapore earlier that day.

“It is an important policy in all countries to crack down on financial crimes and fraud operators, and the NIA adhered to the laws by deporting wanted international criminals to safeguard our national security and public safety. It had followed due process and legal,” NIA officials said.

The NIA also said the deportation was in accordance with the Regulations Governing the Forcible Deportation of Foreigners (外國人强剧驅逐出國處理辦法) and Article 18 of the Immigration Law (入出國國发秕) , which indicates that someone who could national interests, public security, public order or good customs of the State”, can be banned from entering Taiwan.

Additional reporting by Wang Kuang-jen