Authorities rescued 159 foreign nationals and arrested three alleged operators of an international parcel scam hub during a police operation in Pasay City on Tuesday, November 3.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) raided the facility located on the 15th floor of a building along Cuneta Avenue, where authorities found individuals allegedly involved in a scam operation targeting victims in several Southeast Asian countries.
According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), the rescued foreign nationals were Chinese, Indonesian, Malaysian, and Vietnamese, with most of them reportedly Indonesians.
Three alleged masterminds, consisting of one Chinese national and two Malaysians, were arrested during the operation.
The raid was conducted following information from international law enforcement partners, particularly from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, as well as reports from three Indonesian nationals who managed to escape from the facility and seek police assistance.
Authorities also discovered fake police uniforms, caps, handcuffs, and rooms designed to resemble police headquarters, which were allegedly used to make the fraudulent scheme appear legitimate during video calls with victims.
According to investigators, the scammers initially contacted their targets while pretending to represent a courier company and informing them that a parcel was scheduled for delivery.
A second caller, posing as a police officer, would then claim that the package contained illegal drugs or contraband, warning the victim that their assets and bank accounts could be frozen.
Another individual would subsequently pose as a senior police officer and offer assistance, convincing victims to transfer their money to designated bank accounts supposedly to protect their funds.
PNP Chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the operation was coordinated with international police counterparts to pursue the individuals behind the scam.
The CIDG said the facility had been operating for approximately three months and was not a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO), but an international fraud operation.
Investigators are also looking into allegations that some of the foreign nationals were physically abused and forced to participate in the scam activities.
The three arrested suspects are expected to face complaints for human trafficking and serious illegal detention.
The rescued foreign nationals will be referred to the Bureau of Immigration for processing in coordination with their respective embassies
