Police in the Philippines rescued hundreds of individuals who were allegedly forced to work in an online scam center. The operation, initiated based on a tip from a Vietnamese man, led to the apprehension of eight suspects.
Gilberto Cruz, executive director of the crime task force leading the raid, stated, “The rescued workers told us (the company) engages in love scams, romance scam, cryptocurrency scams and other scam activities.” He further added, “The victims were controlled by having their passports confiscated so they were unable to leave.”
The raid uncovered a vast operation involving 432 Chinese nationals, 371 Filipinos, 57 Vietnamese, eight Malaysians, three Taiwanese, two Indonesians, and two Rwandans at the site. The complex, sprawling over 10 hectares in Bamban, was masquerading as an internet gaming company, as per police reports.
According to authorities, the victims were coerced into various online scams under threats of physical harm or other punishments. Cruz highlighted, “The (online gaming) workers who failed to achieve their quota… were physically harmed, deprived of sleep or locked up inside their rooms.”
Scam centers like this have proliferated across Southeast Asia, with criminal syndicates luring, kidnapping, or coercing individuals into fraudulent online activities. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime has reported that the scam industry is generating unprecedented profits, amounting to billions of dollars.
Eight suspects are currently in custody, facing charges of illegal detention and human trafficking. The Chinese embassy has been contacted to aid in identifying the suspects.
Cruz informed AFP that some Filipinos found at the site would be released without charges, as they were employed in maintenance or security roles.
This operation follows last year’s detainment of nearly 3,300 individuals in two large-scale raids on similar scamming sites in Manila.