116 foreigners, Filipinos nabbed in suspected scam hub in Ermita

A total of 116 employees were nabbed in a suspected love and cryptocurrency scam hub in Ermita, Manila on Tuesday evening, according to Bea Pinlac’s report in “Balitanghali” on Wednesday. 

The joint operation was conducted by the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation. 

Of the nabbed employees, 47 are Filipinos, 35 are Chinese, 24 are Indonesians, and 10 are Malaysians. 

Investigation showed that the employees get into relationships with their victims, which are mostly Europeans, before they lure them to invest in cryptocurrency. 

“Eengganyuhin ‘yan through messages. So nakikita natin dun na ang target nila is from European countries,” said Philippine National Police-Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) Cyber Response Unit chief P/Colonel Jay Guillermo.

(They will lure them through messages. So we saw that their targets are from European countries.) 

“Parang automatic na kung ikaw ay Indonesian, automatic na may translator na foreign language. Ayun ang ise-send niya ngayon. Para bang ang kausap mo ay local din. But they are here operating in the Philippines,” he added. 

(For example, if you are an Indonesian, there is an automatic translator. So the victim thinks that he is just talking to a local, but the reality is that they are operating in the Philippines.) 

The employees could be charged for violating the Securities Regulation Code, the report said. 

The Filipino employees were released, but the foreign workers were brought to the NCRPO headquarters.  The PNP is already coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration to check the documents of the foreigners. 

On the other hand, a separate operation was also conducted in the same building where five other Chinese citizens were found illegally detained. 

One of the relatives of the rescued Chinese said that bruises were found on his kin. 

“Ilang araw po siya nawala tapos nagsabi po siya na parang dito po siya sa tower nagwo-work…Mayroon po siyang bruises pero bine-verify pa po kung saan galing 'yung mga bruises,” the relative said. 

(He’s been missing for several days and he said that he’s working in this tower…He has bruises but authorities are still verifying how he got them.) 

Meanwhile, the PNP is hoping that there would be stronger laws and policies in regulating cryptocurrency in the country. 

“Cryptocurrency is booming. So we should have another policy in terms of  how to regulate cryptocurrency in the Philippines,” said Guillermo.—Vince Angelo Ferreras/AOL, GMA Integrated News