17 Taiwanese suspects arrested in Cebu for involvement in "romance scams" and international money laundering.

On May 15th, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in the Philippines conducted a raid in the upscale residential area of Maria Luisa Estate Park in Cebu City, arresting 17 Taiwanese suspects, including 16 men and one woman. These suspects are allegedly involved in setting up a transnational scamming base in the Philippines, specifically targeting victims from China and Malaysia for romance scams and money laundering crimes.

The operation initially targeted only three wanted individuals and was conducted with the assistance of a Taiwanese police liaison officer. However, law enforcement officers discovered an additional 14 individuals at the scene, suspected of being accomplices, operating multiple laptops and chat script programs, and subsequently took them into custody. According to the NBI, at least six of these individuals had valid arrest warrants issued by Taiwan, involving charges related to money laundering, forgery, and drug-related offenses.

Investigators noted that the gang's modus operandi involved using fake social media accounts to gain the trust of victims through romantic and friendship overtures, followed by scams involving investment opportunities and emergency financial assistance. The primary victims are middle-aged and elderly individuals, single youths, and white-collar workers.

Shen Mingde, the Taiwanese police liaison officer stationed in the Philippines, confirmed that the suspects are part of the Taiwanese "Four Seas Gang," an organization involved in long-term telecommunication fraud, money laundering, and drug trafficking activities, and are a major target of the Taiwanese police. He estimated that in Taiwan alone, similar scams cause weekly losses amounting to 1.3 billion New Taiwan Dollars, approximately 1.7 billion Philippine Pesos.

A transnational investigation revealed that the suspects initially started their scamming activities in Manila but moved to Cebu due to law enforcement pressure. The operation was triggered when one of the wanted criminals was detected by a surveillance system while purchasing a ticket at Manila airport, leading to further tracking.

Currently, all 17 individuals are detained at the NBI's Visayas regional office, and they will face legal proceedings according to the laws of Taiwan and the Philippines. In Taiwan, they will face charges of money laundering, drug trafficking, and telecommunications fraud. In the Philippines, the suspects may face charges of internet forgery, economic sabotage, and financial fraud and social engineering crimes under the recently passed Anti-Financial Account Fraud Act RA12010. Officials are assessing whether to initiate deportation proceedings or to prosecute locally.