A NUMBER of fugitive Chinese nationals have been found hiding in POGO hubs that have been raided by agents of the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) since May, the Journal Group learned on Monday. since last May, the Journal Group learned on Monday.

PNP-ACG operatives said four of the wanted Chinese nationals were among those held during a raid in Las Piñas City last week, sources said.

PNP-ACG and Bureau of Immigration authorities identified the four via cross matching procedure done with the assistance of representatives from the Chinese Embassy, said PNP-ACG spokesperson, Captain Michelle Sabino.

Scores of wanted Chinese were also among those found inside a suspected POGO hub raided by the PNP-ACG and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission inside Clark Freeport Zone in Mabalacat City in Pampanga last May 4.

Many of the foreigners were found to have no passports.

Over 1,000 foreigners from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam were rescued during the Clark raid. investigation showed the workers were recruited through online job postings, mostly on Facebook, Telegram, and WhatsApp, to work as call center agents.

Last week, five Chinese accused of operating a cybercrime ring in Las Piñas City were rescued by agents of the PNP-ACG were charged with violation of the country’s anti-cybercrime laws.

Charged for violation of Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act in relation to Section 6 of RA 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 were Li Jicheng alias Li Jiachang, Xiao Liu alias Xiao Lin, Yan Jiayong alias Pan Wen Jie, Duan Hozhuan and LP Hongkun alias Li Yang.

The five were subjected to inquest proceedings by the PNP-ACG before the Department of Justice on Friday.

Other respondents in the case were one Quiha Lu, Liangfei Chen, Jimmy Lin, Abbey Ng and the other owners/maintainers/facilitators/managers of Building C of Xinhuang Network Techonology as well as the company incorporators identified as Danica Andres Mensah, Oliver Ong, Divin Trillanes Vidal and Daisy Vidal Cidro.

PNP Public Information Office chief, Brigadier General Redrico A. Maranan said that early morning Saturday, the PNP deployed 299 police operatives from the PNP-ACG and the National Capital Region Police Office to continue the search in the raided facility.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration has repatriated many of the 1,134 Asian nationals ‘rescued’ in the suspected Clark-based POGO hub-turned main base of online scammers victimizing targets from Europe, Canada, the United States and other countries.

“The recruiter would pay for their expenses, including airfare, accommodation, and visa.

Upon arrival, their passports would be withheld under the guise of obtaining a work visa. They will be trained for a period of five to six days to improve their social communication skills,” the PNP-ACG said.

“After training, they would seek out foreign investors from the United States, Canada, and Europe through dating apps.

Victims, who were mostly males, were ordered by their handlers to pretend to be attractive women on a dating site and entice their clients to invest in fake cryptocurrency,” it added.

The rescued workers were found to be engaged in different internet fraud or deception which makes use of the Internet.

They include the so-called ‘Love or Romance Scam,’ Boiler Room and phishing wherein scammers lure their targets into providing them with personal information such as credit card and mobile phone numbers and other sensitive information they can use to make purchases or steal one’s identity.