The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of the Philippines recently raided an ordinary-looking apartment in Pasay City, Manila, successfully rescuing a Chinese man who was illegally detained and forced to participate in online scams. This incident once again exposes the common tactics of "debt control" and "job traps" used by transnational scam groups.
According to the NBI, the raid was initiated following internal intelligence. The exterior of the apartment appeared to be a normal residence, but inside it was a small hub for scams and illegal gambling. Investigators noted that the victim had been promised a legitimate job opportunity, but the reality upon arrival in the Philippines was completely different.
"He was told he needed to repay a 'placement fee' of up to 300,000 pesos and was forced to participate in a fraudulent stock investment platform," revealed an investigator, "He could only regain his freedom by completing a certain number of scam tasks."
Although there were no obvious signs of violence during the control process, the NBI emphasized that this behavior constituted illegal detention. During the operation, three Chinese suspects were arrested on the spot. They admitted to being involved in businesses related to POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) but denied restricting the victim.
However, the evidence found at the scene and the victim's statements were consistent, and were sufficient to support multiple criminal charges against the three suspects, including "illegal detention" and "violation of the Anti-Financial Account Fraud Law."
It is noteworthy that the success of this rescue operation was partly due to a former victim who had fallen into the same scam. After escaping, he bravely reported to the authorities and provided key clues, exposing that the gang was still targeting other Chinese individuals with the lure of high-paying jobs.
The NBI stated that it would continue to pursue the remaining accomplices involved in this case and intensify efforts to combat similar transnational scams and human control cases. "We urge more victims to come forward to assist in the investigation and hope the public will be more vigilant and not be deceived by the attractive promises of 'overseas employment.'"
