Photo credit: the Peninsula Qatar
Around 400 foreign nationals were arrested on Wednesday in a “large-scale” raid on a suspected online scam farm in Manila, according to the national immigration centre.
Vnexpress.net reports that authorities raided a building and found workers allegedly engaged in online scam operations targeting victims abroad. International has grown in recent years over similar scam operations in Asia which are often staffed by trafficking victims who were tricked or coerced into promoting bogs cryptocurrency investments and other cons.
The intelligence division chief at the Bureau of Investigation Fortunato Manahan said, “Their operations were found to be in violation of immigration laws and posed significant risks to the public.”
President Ferdinand Marcos had announced a ban by the end of 2024 on Philippine online gaming operators (POGO). Manila says they have been used as cover by organized crime groups for human trafficking, money laundering, online fraud, kidnappings and even murder.
The Bureau of Investigation had been monitoring the “POGO-like activities” of the raided company “for some time”, the statement said.
Many of the foreign nationals were Chinese and they were undergoing booking procedures, according to immigration spokeswoman Dana Sandoval.
They will be temporarily detained while awaiting deportation, the bureau said.
