ANGELES CITY, Pampanga — Four foreign nationals were arrested in Angeles City as part of the government’s intensified campaign against transnational crime syndicates.
The operation follows a directive from Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to strengthen efforts against organized international crime groups operating in the country.
In a report to Joel Anthony Viado, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said its Intelligence Division, led by Chief Fortunato Manahan Jr., along with Regional Intelligence Operations Unit 3 (RIOU-3), conducted an enforcement operation on February 18 in Barangay Pampang, Angeles City.
The raid was carried out in coordination with the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) following intelligence reports linking the suspects to telecommunication fraud, online gaming scams, and an alleged kidnapping-for-extortion scheme.
Authorities said two women attempted to flee the scene by boarding a vehicle but were intercepted by agents.
Those arrested were identified as Japanese nationals Oi Riho, 27; Moriyama Yu, 31; and Kato Hiroaki, 42; along with Chinese national Wang Xinyu, 32.
The suspects were unable to present valid passports or identification documents. Oi and Kato were found to be overstaying and undocumented. Moriyama faces charges for harboring illegal aliens and being undocumented, while Wang was cited for overstaying, lack of documentation, and undesirability.
During an investigation conducted in the presence of representatives from the Japanese Embassy, the suspects denied involvement in kidnapping and extortion but admitted participating in scamming and online gaming fraud operations allegedly based in Angeles City.
Intelligence reports identified Wang as the alleged logistics head of the scam hub, responsible for training recruits and overseeing operational needs.
The suspects were informed of their constitutional rights in a language they understood before being brought to the RIOU-3 office for documentation. They were later transferred to the BI Warden Facility at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.
Viado warned that authorities will continue pursuing foreign nationals who use the Philippines as a base for criminal enterprises.
“We will not allow the Philippines to be used as a breeding ground for scam hubs, kidnapping schemes, and transnational fraud operations,” Viado said, adding that the BI is working closely with foreign governments and local law enforcement to dismantle organized crime networks nationwide.
