The Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) has detained eight South Koreans who had been arrested recently by authorities for allegedly operating an illegal online gambling business in Metro Manila, a senior government official said Wednesday.

Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. said he ordered the Koreans to be detained at the immigration jail in Taguig, Metro Manila to prevent their release while undergoing preliminary investigation.

David said the Koreans are undergoing deportation proceedings for being undesirable aliens and for allegedly violating the conditions of their stay as tourists.

He further explained that deportation cases of the aliens are separate from the charges of violating the anti-illegal gambling law filed against them by the National Bureau of Investigation ( NBI) for violating Presidential Decree 1602 or the illegal gambling law. "Since they have been charged with immigration law violations, they will remain detained until their cases are resolved by the court,"he said.

He added that the Koreans will only be deported if the court drops the criminal charges against them or after they have served their sentences, if convicted.

Records showed that the Koreans were turned over to the BI on Sept. 3, four days after NBI agents arrested them inside their unit at a tower in Pasig City where they operated an illegal online casino gambling facility.