MANILA, Philippines – Arestado ang tatlong Japanese national at isang Chinese national sa Pampanga dahil sa umano’y kaugnayan sa Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo)-related scam operations, sinabi ng Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) nitong Sabado, Pebrero 21.
Ayon sa PAOCC, ang pagkakaaresto ay kasunod ng joint law enforcement operation na isinagawa sa Friendship Plaza, Brgy. Pampang, Angeles City, Pampanga noong Pebrero 18.
Naaresto rito ang 27-anyos na si Riho Oh (Japanese); 31-year-old Yu Moriyama (Japanese); 42-year-old Hiroaki Kato (Japanese); at 32-year-old Xinyu Wang (Chinese).
“The operation stemmed from intelligence information shared by the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, indicating that the subjects were allegedly involved in telecommunications fraud, online gaming fraud, and kidnapping-for-ransom schemes linked to Pogo-scam operations in Pampanga,” saad sa pahayag ng PAOCC.
Sinabi ng PAOCC na ang operasyon ay isinagawa sa pamamagitan ng warrantless arrest kaugnay sa Rules of Criminal Procedure and Omnibus Rules of Bureau of Immigration (BI) matapos na mapag-alaman ang mga indibidwal na lumalabag sa immigration laws.
Idinagdag ng ahensya na kabilang sa mga paglabag ay ang overstaying, pagiging undocumented, at harboring (for Moriyama); at pagiging being undesirable alien (for Wang).
Itinanggi ng mga naarestong dayuhan ang kaugnayan nila sa kidnapping at extortion ngunit “they admitted to participating in scamming activities and in online gaming fraud operations allegedly operating in Angeles City.”
“Intelligence information further indicated that WANG XINYU was responsible for logistics, personnel training, and other significant operational functions of the scam hubs,” dagdag pa.
Dinala ang mga ito sa BI Warden Facility sa Taguig City para sa medical examination at inquest proceedings. RNT/JGC
