Seventeen foreign nationals involved in a large-scale online financial scam operation were recently deported by the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

The deportation was carried out on 21 January, wherein the 17 Taiwanese nationals were boarded on a direct flight to Taipei, after being tagged as undesirable aliens by the BI.

The deported foreign nationals were apprehended during a joint operation on May last year by the National Bureau of Investigation Special Task Force (NBI-STF), the NBI Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD), and government intelligence forces at an upscale subdivision in Cebu City, where authorities uncovered a fully operational online finance scam hub.

Investigators caught the individuals in flagrante, actively manning workstations and running scam operations without the required visas or permits, in direct violation of Philippine immigration laws. Digital forensic examination confirmed the presence of romance and investment scam scripts, messaging platforms, and other tools used to deceive victims.

Several of those deported were also confirmed to have standing warrants of arrest abroad.

“This decisive action reflects the President’s clear policy: the Philippines will not tolerate foreign criminals who exploit our openness, abuse our laws, and prey on innocent people—whether Filipinos or foreigners,” said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado.

“The BI will relentlessly pursue, arrest, and deport aliens who engage in illegal activities. We are closing the doors to scammers, syndicates, and fugitives who believe they can hide behind tourist visas,” Viado added.

The BI said all 17 individuals were permanently blacklisted and barred from reentering the Philippines.