MANILA — Three New Zealand nationals were denied entry to the Philippines after being flagged by Interpol for alleged links to an international criminal organization, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Thursday.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado identified the individuals as Alexander Michael Schmalkuchen, Stanley Savinata Sunguturanga, and Ethan Schipper, all holders of New Zealand passports.

Schmalkuchen and Sunguturanga arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Feb. 7 aboard a China Southern flight from Guangzhou, while Schipper arrived on a similar flight on Feb. 9.

BI-Interpol chief Peter de Guzman said immigration officers sought verification after the three registered a hit in the Interpol system. They were later confirmed to be subjects of a Diffusion Notice linked to a criminal organization.

Further checks revealed the trio had multiple prior convictions in different countries and were identified as members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, an outlaw motorcycle gang monitored internationally for alleged organized criminal activities.

They were denied entry under the Philippine Immigration Act, which bars foreign nationals deemed a threat to public safety and national security.

Viado warned that the Philippines would not serve as a safe haven or transit point for transnational criminal groups.

“We are closely coordinating with INTERPOL and our international counterparts to ensure that individuals linked to organized crime are detected and stopped at our borders,” he said.