The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has disclosed that the 1,316 Chinese nationals who were arrested last year near Clark Field in Pampanga were not only engaged in illegal online gambling but were also involved in a range of criminal activities including telephone scams aimed at victims in China and money laundering.In a recent report, the Interpol, an intergovernmental organization facilitating international police cooperation, said the arrest of the Chinese nationals in Clark in November 24, 2016 was the result of an operation, dubbed Operation First Light 2016, which targeted multi-million dollar phone and email scams throughout the Asia Pacific.
The two-month operation targeted a variety of social engineering fraud scams – including telephone deception, romance scams and e-mail deception – and related financial crimes.
“Social engineering fraud” refers to scams which manipulate or trick people into giving out confidential or personal information which can then be used for financial gain by the criminals involved.
In a statement, Interpol’s Financial Crimes unit coordinator Makoto Tanase said by sharing information through Interpol, police can overcome the challenges in investigating international telephone fraud, such as criminals frequently changing locations or IP addresses, and build working relationships to prevent similar criminal activity in the future.
Interpol’s Financial Crimes unit, in conjunction with the Liaison Office in Bangkok, facilitated the exchange of information and coordinated the joint police action during the operation which took place between October 1 and November 30.
Korean, Thai, and Indian nationals were also among those arrested, with additional countries in Europe and the Americas contributing intelligence or providing investigative support. In addition to social engineering fraud, the suspects are also facing charges of payment card fraud and related financial crimes.
Countries participating in Operation First Light 2016 include Austria, China, Hong Kong (China), Japan, Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and the United States.
Last month, police in Spain arrested more than 200 Chinese nationals and shut down 13 call centers in Madrid, Barcelona based on intelligence exchanged in the framework of the operation, and in Alicante which scammed thousands of victims out of some 16 million Euros.
In this case, the suspects posed as law enforcement or justice officials, telling the victims in China that their bank accounts had been targeted by criminals and directing them to transfer a sum of money into a designated bank account in order to track the criminals.
Meanwhile, most of the 1,316 Chinese nationals who were arrested for allegedly working in Fontana Hot Spring Leisure Parks’ call center-like facilities suspected of running online gambling operations have finished relevant procedures for bail, the Chinese Foreign Ministry reported this week.
According to Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang, throughout the process of applying for bail, the Chinese government has been in close contact with the Philippine side asking them to “ensure the legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese citizens and accord them humanitarian treatment and assistance within their duties.”Fontana is owned by Chinese gaming operator Jack Lam’s Jimei Group.
Lam was ordered arrested for allegedly trying to bribe Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre to secure the release of the Chinese nationals.
The gaming operator reportedly left the country before President Duterte ordered his arrest. Based on Bureau of Immigration (BI) travel records, a certain Lam Yi Lok, believed to be Lam’s real name, departed the country via a Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong last November 29 and has no record of return.
The Chinese government earlier said it is “highly concerned” with the move by the Philippine government to detain the undocumented Chinese nationals.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said upon learning that BI authorities have detained a group of Chinese citizens on November 24 following operations launched against illegal online gambling, the Chinese embassy in Manila immediately dispatched representatives to ensure that Philippine government officials “properly settle the detained personnel, speed up the identity verification progress, release people who have legal identity with no delay, take concrete measures to protect the safety and provide humanitarian treatment to personnel involved, and handle the case in a timely and just manner according to law.”
The Chinese foreign ministry official emphasized that the Chinese government always requires its citizens abroad to live and work in accordance with local laws and regulations and not to participate or engage in activities that may impair their own rights and interests, such as gambling.
