At least 17 Taiwanese nationals accused of involvement in POGO hub operation were arrested in a high-end subdivision in Cebu City.

Operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Special Task Force/Cybercrime Division and their Taiwanese counterpart arrested the 17 suspects, including a woman.

Six of the suspects are on the list of “Wanted” persons in Taiwan.

Operatives raided a house in a high-end subdivision in Cebu City afternoon on May 14, 2025. They entered rooms of the house where foreign-looking men were found.

While on search, the operatives found out that there were more men in the house equipped with computers and other gadgets used in the romance scam operation that pounced on Taiwanese victims.

The 17 Taiwanese nationals, one of them a woman, are already under the custodial facility of NBI Central Visayas Regional Office. 

The suspects were charged on May 15, 2025 for computer-related forgery under Republic Act 10175, economic sabotage, and social engineering schemes under Republic Act 12010 or the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act.

Taiwanese police attaché Matt Shen confirmed the identity of the suspects, six of which are ”Wanted” persons in Taiwan for their involvement in a high-organized crime group.

The suspects have scammed a total of over half a billion dollars from their victims, this was further learned.

According to the NBI, the suspects are part of the POGO hub operation in Luzon that transferred in Cebu and have possible local contacts.

The NBI has also investigated further on their local cohort, as POGO hub operations have continued despite government efforts to curtail these.

The accused will be flown to NBI Manila for the processing of their deportation to Taiwan.