Philippine police raid Chinese-run scam centre, arrest Filipinos and 67 foreign nationals
- Police said the centre was operating in the guise of a licensed online gaming company, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr banned last month
Philippine police raided a Chinese-run scam centre in the capital Manila on Thursday, arresting dozens of Filipino and foreign workers who allegedly tricked people into investing in a “manipulated” trading platform.
Police said the centre was operating in the guise of a licensed online gaming company, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr banned last month over the industry’s links to scams, kidnapping, human trafficking and murder.
Among the 67 foreigners arrested during the predawn raid on an office tower in the metropolis were 58 Chinese nationals, plus people from Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia and Vietnam. There were also 32 Filipinos.
The owner and manager of the facility – both Chinese nationals – were among those arrested, police said in a statement.
Police said the centre was running a “cryptocurrency investment scam” and “love scam”, with employees posing as wealthy models who would “entice” victims to invest in a “manipulated” trading platform.
The Filipinos arrested told police they were forced to work as scammers, the statement said, without specifying what would happen to them if they refused.
