The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) announced on Friday the arrest of six Chinese nationals in Angeles City, Pampanga, for their alleged involvement in online scams and cyber-related offenses.
In a statement, the NBI detailed that agents from the NBI-Cybercrime Division and the NBI-Technical Intelligence Division apprehended the suspects at a country club, citing violations of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act.
The suspects have since been presented for inquest at the Department of Justice, the NBI confirmed.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago explained that the operation was initiated after the Naval Intelligence and Security Group sought the NBI’s assistance in serving warrants against three individuals wanted for trafficking. While the main target was not located at the country club, NBI operatives uncovered six Chinese nationals instead, along with a variety of evidence including desktop computers, mobile phones, SIM cards, scripts, and customer ledgers.
During the operation, agents also discovered romance scam scripts, messaging applications with fictitious accounts, bank account details, and fraudulent cryptocurrency investment platforms on the seized devices.
“The recovered software and hardware suggest that the individuals using these devices are engaged in fraudulent activities on a global scale,” Santiago stated.