NBI 7 to Deport 19 Taiwanese, 5 Chinese Nationals Nabbed for Online Fraud

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 said it will deport the 19 Taiwanese and five Chinese nationals who were arrested for allegedly operating an online scam, an official said.

NBI 7 Director Atty. Patricio Bernales Jr. said they will face a case in their respective countries.

But the NBI 7 will first charge them with violating Republic Act (RA) 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, which punishes persons who commit computer-related offense such as forgery, fraud and identity theft.

Bernales said the case is bailable, so they are coordinating with Taiwanese police in facilitating their immediate deportation.

“They will face a case here in our country and we still have a lot of work to do because this is a technical case,” Bernales said.

He said forensic experts will try to crack the seized computers’ database, which is in Mandarin, to assess the extent of the suspects’ alleged illegal operations.

Bernales said they are monitoring other foreigners who might be operating similar scams.

“This is just the start. If everything goes well with the investigation and with our cooperation with Taiwan officials, we might find others here in Cebu,” he said.

The 24 foreigners allegedly blackmailed active and retired Taiwanese government officials whose financial records had been secured by the suspects’ cohorts. (PNA)LAP/EB/EDS