NBI presents 12 Chinese nationals arrested for scamming activities and 5 Filipinos for bribing agents. Photo:Republika News/Izel Abanilla
MANILA, Philippines – More illegal gaming activities are still being busted even as the December 31, 2024 total POGO crackdown deadline has lapsed.
Three operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) were offered P300,000 each as bribe for the freedom of 12 Chinese nationals involved in scamming activities nabbed in an entrapment operation in Paranaque City last January 8. Five Filipino workers were arrested for trying to put a price on the NBI agents.
The NBI-Cybercrime Division together (CCD) together with the NBI Special Task Force (STF) augmented the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in implementing a Mission Order to conduct an operation against foreign individuals suspected to be running a scam hub at the Ri Rance Corporate Center II Aseana City.
According to NBI Director Jaime Santiago, the operation exposed about 400 Chinese nationals working for the POGO hub just very near the agency’s headquarters; 12 of them were caught in flagrante delicto (caught in the act) performing scamming activities.
The 388 left who were not caught red handed are currently under BI custody pending the process for their immediate deportation.
During the operation, the CCD and the STF witnessed a fully operational office set-up of a scam hub. Active desktops inspected at plainview showed scripts for romance/love scams messaging applications with fictitious bank accounts, bank accounts, fraudulent cryptocurrency scams and fake investment schemes.
The bribe at the NBI parking lot
NBI operatives were then preparing to return to office with the arrested subjects, a certain Ezechiel Bernales, a Filipino-Chinese volunteered to tag along claiming he is the only official interpreter of the group.
On the way, Ezechiel repeatedly told the NBI agents that subjects Wang Qin Xiang and Qixin Wang were offering to pay P300,000 for the freedom of each arrested Chinese individual totalling P3,600,000 for all 12 of them.
Operatives made it appear they concurred with the offer.
An entrapment operation was then hatched to arrest the persons who will bring the money.
On the afternoon of January 10, three cars arrived at the NBI second floor parking lot. The driver handed an eco bag to one of the operatives containing P900,000 supposedly for the first three Chinese nationals to be freed.
When the money was given, the Filipino driver, along with four others, were immediately arrested.
“In the process, ito na naman humahabol trying to bribe our agents. Nakikiusap na matubos nila ng P300,000 per head. Sinakyan ng mga agent natin para sa labing dalawa. Pero ang ginawa nila nag batch by batch sila. Nagpadala ng P900,000 ito po for the first three batch na papakawalan,” Santiago said.
Santiago said that if the operatives would have to wait for the entrapment of the succeeding batches, the first ones would go free that’s why they decided to operate the three head on, said Santiago.
The NBI presented the bribe money to the media worth P900,000 along with the cellphone used to contact the agents.
NBI presented the P900,000 bribe money offered to agents for the freedom of each Chinese subject arrested. Photo:Republika News/Izel Abanilla
NBI Cybercrime Division Chief Atty. Jeremy Lotoc said this was not the first time criminal elements tried to bribe their agents.
“Pangatlo na po ito since last year kung saan meron kaming kaso na nag-ta-try silang i-bribe ‘yung ating mga ahente,” Lotoc said.
One of the Filipino suspects said they were only told by their boss to go to a place to pick up some Chinese people. They were then given a black eco bag to be handed over as per instruction.
“Meron po siyang ibinigay na eco bag sa’kin na ‘di ko naman po alam kung anong nilalaman nung eco bag. ‘Yung ibinigay po niya sakin na address, hindi ko po alam na NBI po pala ‘yung pinuntahan namin,” said one of the suspects.
“Sinabihan po kami na Chinese ang susunduin namin at ibigay po ‘yung eco bag,” he said.
The 12 Chinese nationals were presented for inquest proceedings before the City Prosecutor’s Office in Paranaque City for Computer-Related Forgery otherwise known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act.
Meanwhile, the five Filipinos face charges for Corruption of Public Officials.
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Republika News 
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