Immigration agency asks for help extraditing fugitive accused of fraud

• By Yao Chieh-hsiu and Jason Pan / Reporters

The government has sought help from other countries to extradite a Spanish fugitive who was denied entry to Singapore and had to take a flight back to the passenger area at Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport .

Salvador Alejandro Llinas Onate was deported to Singapore on Saturday and is not allowed to return to Taiwan as Interpol 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 was working with the Foreign Ministry to extradite him to Spain and was seeking help with his return so he could be punished in court for allegedly running a fraud for car rental in Italy.

Photo: Tony Yao, Taipei Times

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

The NIA said it had reserved a room for her, provided her with three meals a day and was free to communicate with her family members and lawyers.

Llinas Onate was indicted by Italian prosecutors for allegedly running a €30 million ($32.6 million) car rental scam and setting up a fraudulent business in Trento, Italy. He was granted permanent residency in Taiwan in 2021 after entering via a dependent visa in 2019.

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

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

“Combating financial crime and fraudsters is an important policy in all countries, and the NIA has followed the laws in deporting wanted international criminals to safeguard our national security and public safety. She followed the legal and proper procedure,” NIA officials said.

The NIA also stated that the deportation was in accordance with the Regulations Governing the Forced Expulsion of Foreigners (外國人強制驅逐出國處理辦法) and Article 18 of the Immigration Law (入出國及移民法), which stipulate that any person who may “endanger” national interests, public safety, public order or good customs of the State”, may be prohibited from entering Taiwan.

Additional reporting by Wang Kuang-jen