332 illegal workers nabbed

MANILA, Philippines — Authorities have arrested 332 foreigners, mostly Chinese, for allegedly working without permits in Bamban, Tarlac.

Those arrested by a joint team of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and National Bureau of Investigation were 323 Chinese, eight Malaysians and an Indonesian.

The foreigners were reportedly engaged in online gambling, internet fraud and other cyber crime operations that were taking place in a compound along Pag-asa street, Barangay Dela Cruz, according to BI Commissioner Jaime Morente.

The BI has yet to identify the owners of the compound and determine if the foreigners are legally staying in the country.

Reports of foreigners engaging in cyber crimes have been few since the pandemic started, according to BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval.