Police Rescue Over 1,000 Trafficked Asians Forced to Run Online Scams

SNEAK PEEK

• Over 1,000 Asian individuals were rescued from online scam operations in the Philippines.
• Victims were trafficked into the country under pretenses and held captive.
• Suspected masterminds of the fraudulent activities were taken into custody.

Local media has recently reported that the Philippine National Police (PNP) rescued over 1,000 individuals of various Asian nationalities who were trafficked into the country. These individuals were deceived by the promise of complimentary flights and lodging but were eventually held captive and coerced into running online scams.

This is after their passports have been confiscated upon arrival. Further, the victims were reportedly forced to work 18 hours daily, with salary deductions for interacting with colleagues or taking extended breaks. Michelle Sabino, a PNP representative, corroborated the reports and emphasized the severity of the matter.

According to the report, the rescued individuals had been trained to dupe people in the United States, Europe, and Canada through fake romantic relationships. Ultimately persuading them to buy cryptocurrency or transfer money to fraudulent bank accounts.

As per the report, most of the victims involved were of Vietnamese origin (389) and Chinese origin (307). Individuals from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia were also tempted into engaging in online cryptocurrency scams. The remaining individuals comprised 40 Nepalese, seven Burmese, five Thais, two Taiwanese, and one from Hong Kong.

On the other hand, the recent development also reveals that a dozen suspected masterminds were taken into custody, consisting of seven Chinese, four Indonesians, and a Malaysian. The suspects are supposedly linked to fraudulent operations, and they were presented for a human trafficking inquest at the Department of Justice in Manila. 

It’s believed that they are the maintainers of Colorful and Leap Group Co. involved in these unlawful activities. In light of the reports, Sabino mentioned that the police operation was initiated after the Indonesian ambassador in Manila requested assistance in locating their citizens who were in distress.