Seventeen foreign nationals, mostly Chinese, were arrested in a raid conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation-Cybercrime Division on Friday night. The operation targeted an alleged scam center in Makati City.
Armed with a search warrant, NBI agents entered a five-story building in Makati that reportedly served as a base for various fraudulent activities involving foreign individuals. Inside, they discovered over 20 workstations and rooms labeled “Couple Room,” each furnished with a bed and restroom for the occupants.
Authorities also found a rooftop commissary, where meals were prepared and brought down to individual rooms, suggesting that occupants rarely needed to leave the building. Along with computers, authorities confiscated SIM cards, cellphones, and notebooks with scam-related scripts.
Some Filipinos were also detained, although they claimed no knowledge of the illicit operations. A kitchen staff member, who had been working at the location for six months, reported only seeing computers when delivering food.
The seized equipment will undergo forensic analysis to determine how long the scam hub had been operational. The foreign nationals arrested were transferred to NBI headquarters for further investigation.