Criminal complaints have been filed against 17 foreigners who were arrested last Oct. 11 at a cyber scam hub in Makati City, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Tuesday, Oct. 15.
“Napa-inquest na natin (We have presented them for inquest) and they will be charged accordingly),” said NBI Director Jaime B. Santiago who presented the arrested foreigners during a press conference.
Santiago said the foreigners were presented for inquest before the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office for violating Republic Act (RA) 12010 or the Anti–Financial Account Scamming and RA 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
Those presented for inquest included 15 Chinese nationals, one Malaysian and one Taiwanese, all of whom were arrested last Oct. 11 in Tejeros, Makati City by operatives of the NBI’s Cybercrime Division (CCD) during the service of a Warrant to Search, Seize, and Examine Computer Data (WSSECD) issued by Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 147.
During the operation, NBI said its operatives found several live electronic devices such as desktop computers, laptops and cellphones utilized in illicit online operations.
It said it also discovered in its controlled viewing and onsite forensic examination digital evidence, tools and applications for social engineering schemes, illegal access, misuse of devices, computer-related forgery, and fraud.
Santiago believes that those arrested have worked for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
“Mga umalis sa bigger group, nagcompose sila ng maliliit na grupo nila (They left the bigger group and established smaller groups) to continue with their scamming activities,” he said.
NBI-CCD Chief Jeremy C. Lotoc said that all 17 foreigners failed to present passports.
“Ang allegation ng mga ‘to, ‘nung tinanong namin kung nasaan ang mga passport nila, nasa BI daw for process of downgrading (The arrested foreigners alleged that their passports are with the Bureau of Immigration for downgrading),” he said.
President Marcos has already ordered that all POGOs in the country should cease operations by the end of 2024.
The BI also gave all foreign workers of POGOs until today, Oct. 15, to downgrade their work visa to tourist visas.