The Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested four foreign nationals in a Pampanga residential area on February 18 over alleged involvement in telecommunications fraud, online gaming scams, and other illegal activities, authorities said.
The operation was conducted in coordination with the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) following intelligence reports linking the suspects to telecom and online gaming fraud, as well as a reported kidnapping-for-extortion scheme.
Two women attempted to evade arrest by boarding a vehicle but were intercepted by agents. The suspects were later identified as Japanese nationals Oi Riho, 27; Moriyama Yu, 31; Kato Hiroaki, 42; and Chinese national Wang Xinyu, 32.
Authorities said the four failed to present valid passports or identification. Oi and Kato were found to be overstaying and undocumented, Moriyama was cited for harboring illegal aliens, while Wang faced charges for overstaying, being undocumented, and undesirability.
During questioning conducted in the presence of Japanese Embassy representatives, the suspects denied involvement in kidnapping or extortion but admitted to participating in scam and online gaming operations allegedly based in Angeles City. Intelligence reports identified Wang as the logistics head of the hub, responsible for training personnel and managing operations.
The arrested individuals were informed of their constitutional rights in a language they could understand and were transferred to the BI Warden Facility at Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, after documentation.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado warned foreign nationals exploiting Philippine territory for criminal activities: “We will not allow the Philippines to be used as a breeding ground for scam hubs, kidnapping schemes, and transnational fraud operations. Foreign syndicates who think they can hide behind tourist visas or expired documents should think again.”
