2 Taiwanese caught with rifles

MANILA, Philippines — Two Taiwanese men who were allegedly in possession of high-powered firearms and devices for online scams and illegal gambling were arrested in Makati on Monday night.

Yuan Bo-Chun and Lin Jyun-Ze were apprehended in a hotel along Kalayaan Avenue in Barangay Poblacion at around 7 p.m., National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director Maj. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a report.

Nartatez said Yuan was the target of teams from the NCRPO’s regional intelligence division and Bureau of Immigration as he has a warrant of arrest from Taiwan for human trafficking.

Several high-powered firearms – among them two assault rifles, a 5.56 M4A1 carbine rifle and a 9mm Ingram pistol – as well as magazine assemblies, ammunition and handcuffs were seized from Yuan, according to Nartatez.

Lin, meanwhile, was taken into custody after he was caught operating several workstations for online scamming and illegal gambling.

Seized from Lin were computer system units, subscriber identity module modems, thousands of pre-registered SIM cards, bank cards, identification cards and marijuana, police reported.

The foreigners were brought to the NCRPO’s headquarters in Taguig for investigation.