78 Taiwanese, Chinese arrested for cyber fraud

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78 Taiwanese, Chinese arrested for cyber fraud
Thursday, 19 April 2012 20:51 Zaff Solmerin / Correspondent


AT least 78 Taiwanese and Chinese, 47 of them males, were arrested on Wednesday in a series of raids conducted by the police against the suspects’ safe houses in Davao City, the city’s police chief, Senior Supt. Ronald de la Rosa, said on Thursday.

“They are operating like an international fraud syndicate and their victims are their fellow Taiwanese and Chinese visiting or temporary living in our country,” de la Rosa said.

He said the raids were witnessed by six personnel from Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau.

De la Rosa said the local police waited for some time for the arrival of the Taiwan CIB personnel before they launched the raids at the suspects’ safe houses where they operate the electronic telephone scam.

The raided safe houses were located at the Valgozon compound at the Velasco Subdivision in Barangay Bangkal; B3 Lot 24 corner Ilang-Ilang and Santan streets in Barangay Villa Josefina in Matina District, and 18 Dahlia Circle and Loops streets in Barangay Ladislawa in Buhangin District.

“We confiscated voluminous electronic gadgets they used in their call center-like operations,” de la Rosa said.

He said the raids were covered with search warrants issued by Judge Isaac Robillo Jr. of Branch 5 of the Regional Trial Court in Davao City and Judge Ridgway Tanjili of Branch 15 of the RTC in Davao City.

De la Rosa thanked the informants, who were also Taiwanese, that gave the local police information on the illegal activities of their compatriots.

“Based on our investigation, members of this group prefer to set up their operations in the provinces rather than in Metro Manila to avoid detection by government authorities,” he said.

The arrested suspects are all in the custody of the city police, while their papers were being verified at the Bureau of Immigration and charges are being prepared against them.