THE NATIONAL Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested in two separate operations last week 15 Chinese nationals for illegal online activities.
Arrested last Nov. 22 in three condominium units in Manila were Pan Jianbei, Pan Taiyuan, Jie Lu, Shengbo Zhang, and Jian Lou Zhou.
The following day, the NBI nabbed another 10 in a residence in Angeles City, Pampanga. They were identified as Yu Shize, Lin Hai Yan, Li Jun Qin, Yu Wen Quian, Xiao Wen Lao, Cai Shui Rong, LinJingming, Ju Shi Lin, Qiu Zai Wei, and Xiao Jian Ze.
Those arrested in Manila were involved in online payment and banking transactions, and lottery game betting, while those in Pampanga were operating online gambling sites with administrative functions, fictitious We Chat account profiles and emails used to “entice male victims,” among others.
Those in Manila were charged for violation of Presidential Decree 1602 or Anti-Illegal Gambling Act in relation to Republic Act (RA) No. 10175 or Cybercrime Prevention Act, while those in Pampanga were charged for violation of the Anti-Gambling Act and RA No. 8484 or the act regulating the issuance and use of access devices in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
The NBI said all those arrested were holding tourist visas.
“This is the one were looking at na bago pumunta ‘yan dito (before they came here), they were already briefed there. They would come in as tourist but they would do their job dito (here) as part of online gambling,” the NBI said in a statement.
On Nov. 26, the Senate held an inquiry on the influx of Chinese workers in the Philippines. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

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