BI: 17 Taiwanese deported for running online financial scam

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has recently deported 17 Taiwanese fugitives who were allegedly involved in a large-scale online financial scam operation.

In a statement on Sunday, the BI said the deportation was implemented on Tuesday, January 21.

The Taiwanese nationals were sent back on a direct flight to Taipei after the BI tagged them as undesirable aliens.

The deported foreigners were arrested during a joint operation of the National Bureau of Investigation Special Task Force (NBI-STF), NBI Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD), and other law enforcement agencies at an upscale subdivision in Cebu City in May last year.

During the operation, authorities caught the foreigners in the act of actively manning workstations and running scam operations without the required visas or permits, a violation of the country’s immigration law.

Digital forensic examination confirmed the presence of romance and investment scam scripts, messaging platforms, and other tools used to deceive victims.

The BI said several of the deported foreigners also had standing arrest warrants abroad.

Following their deportation, all 17 Taiwanese nationals were permanently blacklisted and barred from reentering the Philippines.

“This decisive action reflects the President’s clear policy: the Philippines will not tolerate foreign criminals who exploit our openness, abuse our laws, and prey on innocent people – whether Filipinos or foreigners,” said BI commissioner Joel Anthony Viado.

“The BI will relentlessly pursue, arrest, and deport aliens who engage in illegal activities. We are closing the doors to scammers, syndicates, and fugitives who believe they can hide behind tourist visas,” he added. — JMA, GMA Integrated News