On January 22, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported that agents from the NBI-National Capital Region (NCR) recently conducted two raids in Multinational Village, Paranaque City, arresting several foreign nationals suspected of engaging in online scam activities.
The first raid took place on January 15, where authorities arrested 10 foreign nationals in a residential area of Multinational Village and seized computers used for fraudulent activities.
The Bureau confirmed that seven of the arrested were Vietnamese, while the other three were Chinese nationals, namely: Zhang Ming Yi, Xin Yao Huang, and Himen Chen.
The second raid occurred on January 17, where NCR agents together with representatives from the Digital Forensics Laboratory (DFL) conducted an offline search, discovering laptops and desktops used for criminal activities, including data related to phishing scams and transaction records of cryptocurrency fraud.
During the search, eight Chinese nationals involved in the scams were arrested, identified as: XIAO LI, CHUAN ZI GAO, MING RU LI, WEN SHU LIU, QUI SHUN LI, CAI LI PAN, CHANGFU LIU, and ZHANG ZHEN HONG. Another key suspect, HWANG XIAOBIN, managed to escape.
It is noteworthy that the Bureau stated that both raids were initiated following tips from informants who reported that a group of foreigners were engaging in investment fraud, cryptocurrency scams, and "pig butchering" scams online in Multinational Village, leading to the decisive raids and arrests of the criminals.
Humorously, netizens commented: It turns out that the Philippines also has its "Chaoyang masses," always watching for suspicious individuals around them and reporting any misconduct! Indeed, the incident location "Multinational Village" does have a mysterious organization playing a similar role to China's "Chaoyang masses."
Netizen Science: Unveiling the Mysterious Masses of Multinational Village
Multinational Village is a high-end residential area in Paranaque City, but according to local residents, since 2019, this area has gradually become a hub for POGO workers, bringing crime and security risks, leading to strong protests from local residents.
Data shows that since 2019, approximately 12,000 foreigners have moved into Multinational Village, most of whom are reportedly employed by POGO facilities from China and Vietnam.
In early 2024, 52 residents of Multinational Village jointly submitted a petition to the immigration bureau and the Bureau of Investigation, requesting an investigation into whether foreigners in the area were involved in online fraud or POGO activities, and to eradicate the criminals.
The petition stated: "Thousands of online BC companies have invaded Multinational Village, bringing problems such as garbage, sanitation, peace and order, illegal businesses, sex dens, drug dens, and counterfeit credit cards..."
After President Marcos issued a POGO ban in July 2024, it "partially resolved" the issues in Multinational Village, but local residents believe that some residual forces still exist.
Later, the residents of Multinational Village decided to take matters into their own hands, forming an organization called "I AM MULTI," actively investigating suspected online fraud and POGO dens in the area.
The organization stated: "Previous government raids indeed curbed the excessive activities of the Chinese in the village. However, we believe they are making a comeback, and due to the unstable situation, their actions are now more covert."
According to the organization's investigations, activities suspected to be related to POGO were scattered across several streets in Multinational Village, which they documented and closely monitored.
Thus, "I AM MULTI" became the Philippines' "Chaoyang masses," reporting any suspicious activities to the authorities and urging arrests.
This time, the dismantling of two online fraud dens in Multinational Village was clearly the work of "I AM MULTI." Perhaps, with this announcement, the remaining POGO forces in Multinational Village have been frightened into planning to move out overnight!
