NBI rescues 200 foreigners from Subic scam hub

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has dismantled an alleged online scam hub in Olongapo City, securing around 200 Vietnamese nationals and seizing computers, mobile phones and documents used in the operation.

The raid was conducted on Thursday night by the NBI-Pampanga District Office under a warrant to search, seize and examine computer data issued by the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court Branch 73, following a month of surveillance and intelligence gathering.

Evidence recovered at the facility indicated that the operation was organized like a business, with round-the-clock shifts and a dedicated payments desk handling deposits and withdrawals through a network of bank and e-wallet accounts.

Staff schedules also showed teams assigned to targets in the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates and Bangladesh, the NBI said.

The bureau is screening the Vietnamese nationals to determine whether any were victims of human trafficking. Those found to have been recruited through deception or held against their will would be treated as trafficking victims under Republic Act 9208.

The NBI is coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration, the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking and the Vietnamese embassy on the workers’ welfare, documentation and possible repatriation.

The bureau is preparing complaints against those who allegedly organized, managed and financed the operation for violations of the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act, Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001 and Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, as amended.

NBI Director Melvin Matibag said investigators would trace the money moving through the operation and pursue those who provided bank accounts and e-wallets for its transactions.

The NBI is working with the Anti-Money Laundering Council and concerned financial institutions to identify and freeze accounts allegedly used by the hub. The investigation into its operators and foreign links is ongoing.