Spanish fugitive deported from Taiwan after hidden for years

Taipei, Oct. 19 (CNA) A Spanish fugitive who was allegedly involved in a massive fraud scheme in Italy was deported by Taiwanese immigration authorities Saturday after having lived in Taiwan for several years, according to the National Immigration Agency (NIA).

In a statement, NIA said the deportation was carried out based on the Immigration Act after the agency held a meeting with experts and academics Friday to determine whether the fugitive named Salvador Alejandro Llinas Onate might endanger Taiwan's interests, public security and social order.

They determined he posed a danger if he continued to stay in Taiwan, and therefore the deportation order was issued, according to the NIA.

Onate, who ran a company in Trento in northern Italy, is accused of illegally selling 1,180 rental vehicles under his management to unknown third parties before fleeing from Italy to Taiwan in 2019.

Through the scheme, the 48-year-old raked in about 30 million euros (US$32.77 million) in profit, international news media reported. His car rental firm declared bankruptcy in 2019, and he vanished not long afterwards.

He is wanted by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).

As Onate has been barred from entering Taiwan, the NIA said, he will be denied entry if he flies back to Taiwan again after being deported, according to the Immigration Act.

Before Onate was deported, the Taipei High Administration Court issued a ruling earlier Saturday, saying a directive issued by the NIA to deport Onate had flaws. The court also determined Onate's personal freedom had been restricted and ordered the NIA to release him.

The NIA did not explain why it was able to ignore the court order and deport Onate.

Local news media reported he obtained permanent residency in Taiwan in 2021 after entering Taiwan via a dependent visa, and has run five companies in Taiwan, including two high-end restaurants in a prime district in Taipei.

In its ruling Saturday, the court said the NIA failed to abide by the Immigration Act and hold an appropriate review meeting before issuing the deportation directive involving Onate.

According to the court, the NIA launched an investigation into Onate on Oct. 13, which ended with the agency ordering him to leave Taiwan by Saturday.

Opposing the NIA deportation order, Onate filed an administrative appeal against the deportation order on Thursday.

After he filed his petition, the NIA informed Onate later Thursday to attend the review meeting on Friday, but the Spaniard argued that he needed more time to prepare and asked that it be rescheduled, the court said.

The agency still held the meeting as scheduled, however, and issued the deportation order, the court said.

The court also cited Onate as saying that he was not informed that he could hire lawyers and that his freedom was restricted by the NIA starting at 8:40 p.m. Friday, making it hard for him to make contact with his lawyer until 11:50 p.m.

According to the court, when he was placed on a plane to leave Taiwan early Saturday morning, Onate asked his lawyer to file a petition with the administrative court asking for a hearing for the deportation case.

The court said Onate had been taken to an NIA office at Taoyuan International Airport as the agency aimed to deport him by Saturday, but he refused to accept the deportation order.

Under such circumstances, the court said, it determined that the man was detained, and due to the NIA's failure to observe the rules in implementing the deportation, he should be released.

In contrast to the court ruling, which said Onate remained held by immigration authorities, the NIA said it never used any restraints to restrict his freedom but simply carried out the necessary measures during the mandatory deportation process.