Most of those arrested were Taiwanese men and women like this group in a two-storey house in Casal’s subdivision in Mabolo, which police said was used as an operation base of a syndicate to blackmail and defraud businessmen in Taiwan and mainland China. Computers, routers, headsets, and VOIP gateway machines were confiscated. (CDN PHOTO/ APPLE TAAS)
Police yesterday arrested at least 68 persons, mostly Taiwanese nationals, operating a suspected international syndicate for telephone and online fraud in Cebu City.
Nine search warrants were served in raids on four houses in high-end subdivisions and a condominium in Cebu City, where the scam operations were based.
Many of the foreigners had just arrived with tourist visas from Taiwan through Manila.
The search warrant was issued by Executive Judge Soliver Peras of the Regional Trial Court in Cebu City.
It authorized police to seize from the premises computers, routers, printers, Internet modems, VOIP gateway machines, network routers, Internet ports, telephone sets, mobile phones and other records, including vehicles believed “to be used in the operation of telephone fraud” and “conspiracy to commit access device fraud.”
TRANSFER TO CEBU
Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, chief of staff of the Police Regional Office-7, who supervised the raids, said a similar online scam was busted four years ago in Metro Manila.
“The group using the same modus operandi was apprehended in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon. They may have transferred to Cebu thinking they would not be traced here,” Lawas said.
The search warrant was issued against a certain Chien-Chieh Lee and another occupants in No. 30 Sunflower Drive, Sunny Hills in barangay Talamban, Forest Hills subdivision in Guadalupe, Casals’ Subdivision and Lot 8 Condominium in barangay Mabolo.
Police were tipped off over a month ago by counterparts in Taiwan seeking their help to trace the IP addresses in Region 7.
Most of the complaints were reported by the Taiwanese Economic and Cultural Office.
Syndicate members would obtain contact numbers of businessmen in Taiwan and mainland China and tell them their bank accounts were being investigated for money laundering or other violations.
Out of fear, the target businessman would turn to law enforcers, who turned out to be syndicate members.
All communication would take place online.
The cohort would “pretend to be a judge, a police or a prosecutor to scare the victim that charges would be filed unless a certain amount of money would be given. In short, they aimed to blackmail the victim for money,” said Lawas.
Using the Internet, fake law enforcement agents would call the victims, tell them their accounts were under audit and advise them to transfer their money to a “safe account” provided by the syndicate.
Lawas said the Taiwan office had been receiving complaints of online “crimes victimizing Taiwanese nationals through extortion of money using the Internet or through Voice Internet Protocol.”
ASIAN MEN
Yesterday’s raid was carried out by special units led by the Regional Intelligence Division (RID) and the Regional Public Safety Batallion (RPSB) .
In Casal’s Subdivision, 26 Taiwanese nationals were arrested in a rented two-storey house.
One of them was injured his right arm after being hit by broken glass.
The house was rented over a month ago by Asian men, said a neighbor, who noticed that the occupants stayed indoors all day and went out only at night.
RID operatives used a large hammer to force their way in because the gate and entrance door were locked.
Their entry stirred a brief commotion. Some occupants tried to escape but were later pacified by the police.
In Sunny Hills Subdivision in Talamban, another police team raided a house rented by Chien-Chih Lee. At least 21 Taiwanese were staying there.
Computers, internet modems and telephone units were also seized along with their passports and cellphones.
Four foreigners tried to leap from the second floor to escape and suffered injuries. They had to be taken to the hospital.
In Talamban, a house in barangay Tigbao was used by 16 other Taiwanese. One man tried to punch a hole in the ceiling hoping to hide in the roof.
The house had high walls. Inside were separate work cubicles made of rubber mats apparently for soundproofing.
A police officer said this was where the syndicated placed calls to Taiwan.
In Lot 8 condominium in Mabolo, three search warrants were served.
TOURISTS
Most of the foreigners were recent arrivals through Manila, said Casimiro Madarang III, alien control officer of BI Cebu, who checked their passports.
Many held tourist visas, and just arrived last Aug. 15, said BI legal officer Ronaldo Deray. As tourists, they are prohibited from operating a business or working.
“The violation here is not an immigration matter but a police matter,” he said.
Taiwanese police experts who joined the raid said they wanted the visas canceled so the holders would be quickly deported.
All 68 were taken into custody and brought to Camp Sergio Osmeña, where many had to spend the night in the camp’s covered stage for lack of holding cells.
They will be turned over to the RID for the filing of a charge of “conspiracy to commit access device fraud” under Section 11 of Republic Act 8484 or the Access Devices Regulatory Act of 1998 aside from section 10 and 14, said police.
PRESERVE EVIDENCE
Taiwanese cybercrime police officials who joined the raid advised that extra caution be used to preserve evidence.
Lawas said regional police units were only allowed to touch the paper documents. Taiwanese experts supervised the gathering of electronic gadgets like computer units.
Supt. Rex Derilo, acting chief of the RID, who led the simultaneous operations, said nine search warrants were served in seven locations in Cebu City.
Police last night were still conducing an inventory of confiscated electronic gadgets.
An access device can refer to a credit card, or any card, plate, code, account number, electronic serial number, personal identification number, or other telecommunications service, equipment, or instrumental identifier, that can be used to obtain money, good, services, or any other thing of value or to initiate a transfer of funds.
Mere possession of an unlawful access device is presumed to be evidence of intent to defraud,under the law.
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