ZAMBOANGA, Aug 21: Philippine authorities on Wednesday arrested a Pakistani national who tried to slip into the country by joining almost 500 Filipino illegal immigrants returning from Malaysia.

The foreigner, 24-year-old Shukat Ali, was among 491 people ferried to Zamboanga City, 875 kilometres south of Manila, from a holding centre in the nearby island province of Tawi-Tawi by the Philippine navy.

—dpa