Taiwanese Nationals Arrested in the Philippines for Romance Scam Operation

Cooperation Between TECO and Philippine Authorities Leads to the Bust of a Fraud Ring Targeting Taiwanese, Malaysian, and Chinese Victims

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – In a significant crackdown on transnational crime, Philippine police have arrested 17 Taiwanese citizens in Cebu City on May 15th. The arrests are the result of a joint effort to dismantle a criminal operation engaged in online "romance" scams.

The suspects were apprehended at a residential property in Cebu, where they allegedly targeted fellow Taiwanese, as well as Malaysian and Chinese individuals, with fraudulent schemes designed to extract money. Sources suggest the group may be linked to Taiwan’s Four Seas gang, as reported by the Manila Bulletin.

Authorities confirmed that among those arrested were 16 men and one woman. Notably, six of the individuals have outstanding arrest warrants for crimes committed in Taiwan. Cooperation between Taiwanese authorities and their Philippine counterparts is underway to facilitate extradition proceedings, as reported by Philstar, ensuring the suspects face justice in Taiwan.

The investigation and subsequent raid were initiated based on intelligence provided by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the Philippines, according to Philstar. The Philippine National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippines’ Naval Security and Intelligence Group played key roles in gathering and verifying the information that led to the bust.

According to reports, the NBI was able to pinpoint the group's base of operations by tracking the movements of a suspect who had an outstanding warrant, after they took a flight from Manila to Cebu earlier this year.

Matt Shen, Taiwan’s police attaché at TECO, expressed his gratitude to the Philippine law enforcement agencies for their swift action. "NBI's swift response prevented further harm to potential victims. I deeply admire NBI's commitment and effort,” Shen told the Manila Bulletin.