BI arrests 36 Japanese nationals involved in telco scam

Operatives of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) have arrested 36 Japanese nationals allegedly running a telecommunications scam from a hotel in Makati City.

Philippine authorities arrested Nobuki Oshita, 20, and Yusuke Kiya, 33 — who both have arrest warrants for theft in Japan — as well as 34 other nationals who were allegedly caught conducting voice phishing operations last Wednesday.

Japanese police confirmed that all 36 were found to be members of an organized crime group involved in telecom fraud and extortion, said Bobby Raquepo, the head of the bureau's Fugitive Search Unit, in a statement Friday.

The group has reportedly victimized at least 1,393 of their fellow Japanese, with damages amounting to an estimated 2 billion yen, the BI said.

The 36 Japanese nationals are temporarily detained at the BI facility in Bicutan, Taguig pending their deportation.

They were arrested weeks after 512 foreigners, mostly Chinese, who were allegedly involved in telco fraud were captured in Pasay City. More than 300 of the Chinese nationals arrested were deported Thursday.

"The presence of these criminals in the country is a risk to public security," Immigration chief Jaime Morente said in the release.

"We will keep our strong ties with our partners until the last foreign fugitive is hunted, deported, and blacklisted," he added. —Nicole-Anne C. Lagrimas/KBK, GMA News