The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has deported to China 73 Chinese nationals for operating an online ring where they pretend to be Chinese police officers, prosecutors and judges and then threaten victims in China into sending money to the syndicate’s bank accounts.

Bureau of Immigration (BI) legal division chief Arvin Cesar Santos on Tuesday said the Chinese nationals were arrested in Ilocos Sur and Las Piñas City after Chinese authorities traced some 100 internet addresses being used by the syndicate to the Philippines.

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“The telecom fraudsters allegedly pretended to be police officers, prosecutors and judges when calling their victims in China, many of whom are rich businessmen,” Santos said in a statement issued by the BI.

“The victims were told that they had cases involving their phone numbers or bank accounts that needed to be investigated after which they would demand payment by asking that the money be transferred to the syndicate’s account,” Santos added.

Santos said the tip from the Chinese police prompted joint operatives of the BI and the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) anti-cybercrime group to conduct raids in San Vicente, Ilocos Sur and Las Piñas City on January 13.

“Seized from the suspects during the raids were several improvised soundproof telephone cubicles, laptops, cellphones, computers, internet routers, and other devices, including a list of their victims,” Santos said.

More than a hundred Chinese and Taiwanese nationals were arrested in the January 13 raids, the BI said.

According to Morente the bureau is still processing the deportation of the other arrested aliens.

On Monday, the 73 deportees boarded a chartered China Eastern Airlines flight at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for Tianjin, China.

Aside from being undesirable aliens, Morente said the deportees were also undocumented aliens as the Chinese government already cancelled their passports.

“The Chinese government already cancelled their passports,” Morente explained. “Their continued presence here poses a risk to public interest,” he said.

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Morente said the mass deportation “aimed to declog the bureau’s backlog of deportation cases and hasten the implementation of deportation orders.” /muf

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