Arrested Taiwanese, Chinese scam suspects sent to Manila

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — The 42 Taiwanese nationals and two Chinese nationals who were arrested Wednesday afternoon in this city—for alleged involvement in cyber money laundering schemes and telecommunication fraud—were transported to Manila yesterday in preparation for their deportation.

Superintendent Gilbert Gorero, spokesperson of the Iloilo City Police Office, said the local police already turned over the arrested suspects (40 males and four females) to the Taiwanese attaché, who was part of the team that raided the suspects’ hideouts at Barangay Guzman-Jesena in Mandurriao district and at Ledesco Subdivision in La Paz district of this city.

“We already turned over them to its proper authority. Whatever the plans for their deportation is already beyond our control,” he said.

Gorero said the raid was carried out by combined operatives from the Anti-Cybercrime Group based in Camp Crame in Manila, the Taiwanese attaché, the National Bureau of Investigation-Region 6, the Bureau of Immigration-6 and the ICPO.

The raiding team was armed with a search warrant issued by Judge Reinelda Estacio-Montesa of the Regional Trial Court-Manila City of the National Capital Region for violation of Republic Act 8484 or the Access Devices Regulation Act of 1998 in relation to RA 10175 or the Cyber Crime Prevention Act of  2012.

The group’s modus operandi was to call on unsuspecting companies or individuals in mainland China and Taiwan claiming that it represents the police, prosecutor’s office, courts, insurance companies, banks or other financial institutions and to advise their victims to transfer their money to the accounts of the syndicate.

Gorero added that a manhunt operation against the still at-large group leader, identified as Chun-Hsi Hsu, will continue. He believed the suspect is still hiding in Iloilo but refused to elaborate more on the latter’s whereabouts while the operation is going on. — (FREEMAN)