Operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have arrested five foreigners and 24 Filipinos in Cavite for involvement in various types of scams. In a press briefing on Tuesday, NBI director Jaime Santiago said the NBI-Cybercrime Division caught the foreigners, composed of three Chinese nationals and two Malaysian nationals, and the Filipinos in the act in a subdivision in Kawit. “These 24 Filipinos are working with them para mag-commit ng [to commit] romance scam, investment scam, cryptoscams, impersonation scams, and.
.. credential stopping.
They are supervised by these foreigners,” Santiago said. Meanwhile, NBI Cybercrime Division Chief Atty. Jeremy Lotoc said this was a splintered group of a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub.
Instead of operating in an office, he said the group has shifted to residential units. “From different departments, from different locations, and purpose nila sa compartmentalization na ito is to avoid exposure or detection from law enforcement,” Lotoc said. (From different departments, from different locations, the purpose of their compartmentalization is to avoid exposure or detection from law enforcement.
) “So meron silang administration department, may operation department, may finance and money laundering department. Makikita niyo ‘yung nakaraang week, ‘yun ho ‘yung nahuli natin through entrapment, ‘yung operation nila is more on finance and laundering. Ito naman ngayon, ito purely operation,” he added.
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