The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of the Philippines conducted a raid in Pasay City and rescued a Chinese man who was illegally detained and forced to work as a scammer. According to the NBI, a condominium unit in Pasay was used as a hideout for an illegal gambling and scam operation.
The victim revealed that he was promised a legitimate job, but upon arriving at the location, he was detained and forced to join a fake stock investment scam to pay an alleged “settlement fee” of 300,000 pesos. He was forced to meet fraudulent “targets” just to gain freedom.
Three Chinese men were caught in the raid. Although they admitted to operating a POGO, they clarified that they were not interfering with the freedom of others. However, the NBI has filed a case for illegal detention and violation of the Anti-Financial Account Fraud Act against the suspects.
After the operation, a former victim provided valuable information that led to the recovery of other victims. The NBI will continue to search for other victims and conduct operations against these types of transnational crimes.
