Bangladeshi Santas held in Manila

Eight Bangladeshis wearing Santa Claus costumes were arrested on Thursday when three of them were found to be on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) list of suspected terrorists, the Bureau of Immigration said in a report.

The suspected terrorists were identified as Munsur Rahman, Mohammed Ali Osman and Mohammed Shain.

Although not included in the FBI's list of terrorists, immigration agents promptly arrested the five other Bangladeshis with them. They were identified as Mohammed Wahidul Alam, Mohammed Fakhruddin, Mohammed Sharifuzzaman, Mohammed Farrukhuzzam and Mohammed Babarshah.

They will be deported immediately to their port of origin, said Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo.

They were intercepted at Pasay City's Ninoy Aquino International Airport departure area before they could board a Philippine Airlines flight for Vancouver in Canada.

They arrived as transit passengers aboard a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok on Wednesday and stayed overnight at the airport before checking in for their connecting flight to Vancouver.