Is the Philippines turning into a haven for foreign nationals engaged in cybercrimes, including financial fraud, identity theft and online gambling?

This cropped up as the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) raided a house at the posh Ayala-Alabang Village and arrested 31 Chinese nationals found engaged in illegal online gambling and “phising” activities.

Seized from the suspects were electronic devices like computers, tablets and mobile phones allegedly used in their “phising” operation to steal personal records to be used in fraudulent credit card, bank and other financial transactions.

The raid was conducted by the NBI’s Rizal District Office (RIZDO) after securing a search warrant from the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 203.

The suspects underwent inquest before the Muntinlupa City Prosecutor’s Office over charges of violating Republic Act 10175 (the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012) and RA 8484 (Access Devices Regulation Act of 1998).

NBI spokesman Ferdinand Lavin said the suspects were able to steal money from online gambling bettors by luring them into their own online gambling platform.

As in any online gambling, bettors have to freely give their financial details like bank accounts to be able to play.

Lavin said the suspects failed to present any work permit or license for their online gambling operation when they raided their lair in Muntinlupa City.

The raid was conducted following a complaint by the Ayala-Alabang Village’s Security, Safety and Health Management Group about the suspicious activities of the group.

Using the information the NBI-RIZDO operatives conducted surveillance operations which positively confirmed the illegal activities.

Meanwhile, in many areas in Metro Manila and all over the country, questions are being raised as to the business of hundreds of Chinese or Korean-looking young men and women seemingly being employed by some firms.

In Las Piñas and Pasay, the said foreigners are seen by the hundreds either walking to their place of “work” or being ferried to and from their workplace by vans.

The Bureau of Immigration has yet to issue any statement on whether the Chinese or Korean-looking men and women, no older than 30, are working in the Philippines with the requisite permits.

The NBI also arrested a Japanese national identified as Jiro Saito alias “Saito San” and “Ken Suzuki” for the human trafficking of at least one Filipina forced into prostitution in Japan.

The Japanese allegedly facilitated the travel to Japan of the Filipina by way of a fake marriage by arrangement.

The alleged co-conspirators of Saito were identified by the NBI as recruiter Angelica Hernandez and the couple Nancy and Takahashi Sugano, all of whom remain at large.

Saito will be charged for violating Republic Act 6955, the law against illegal matching of Filipino women for marriage to foreigners on mail order basis and the Expanded Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012.

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