Cebu syndicate offering Pinay wives online busted

MANILA, Philippines - Police have busted a Chinese-led syndicate using the Internet to offer Filipinas to foreigners looking for wives in Central Visayas.

Agents of the police Anti-Cybercrime Group in Region 7 arrested Mei Yi, owner of the Filipina Heart Internet Consultant, and manager Joy Gator during a raid on their office in Banawa, Cebu City last Saturday afternoon.

Chief Superintendent Reginald Villasanta, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) executive director, said 13 people, including seven women, were rescued during the raid.

In his report to Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., who chairs the PAOCC, Villasanta said the syndicate arranged marriages between Filipinas and foreigners via the Internet and earned money by asking their foreign clients to send payments through their credit accounts. 

“They allowed their foreign clients, mostly businessman from Western countries, to access their account and view sexy Filipina models. Once a client found a prospective wife, the syndicate would arrange his Philippine trip to meet his future wife in person,” Villasanta said. 

The suspects are now facing charges for violation of Republic Act 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act. 

“This is actually another version of a mail-order bride but this time, the syndicate is involved in trafficking of persons and attracts foreign clients by allowing them to view sexy photos of Filipinas for a fee,” Villasanta said. 

The raid also involved the Cebu police and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking composed of regional state prosecutors Fernando Gubalane, Maria Theresa Casiño and Simaco Labata.

Police also seized 35 computer sets and different online equipment. The computers were found to contain sexy pictures of mostly poor Filipinas looking for foreign husbands.

The raid was part of Operation Jolly Cupid in line with the government’s campaign against online child and women pornography, which has drawn the ire of the international community.