AGENTS of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 rescued 10 Chinese nationals, some of whom were allegedly detained in a rented house in Barangay Banilad, Cebu City, on Wednesday night, Sept. 20, 2023.
Executive officer for operation Bienvenido Panican of the NBI 7-Cebu District Office in Mandaue City said the house allegedly serves as the base for an online shopping scam that allegedly victimizes residents of mainland China.
“Their modus is the same as that of the online stores on their portal that once they receive payment from their customers, they won’t deliver the orders,” Panican said in a mix of Tagalog and English.
In a live Facebook broadcast, he said the men have been kept prisoners in the house since Sept. 5.
He said they were able to locate the Chinese nationals with the help of the live-in partner of one of the rescuees, who filed a report in their office.
He said another rescuee accused one of their companions of being the trusted man of their employer who gave an order to torture him.
“He was imprisoned because he disobeyed his boss’s directive to commit fraud. He wanted to leave, but was prevented from doing so. He was detained and forced to work against his will,” Panican said in a mix of Tagalog and English.
He said they will charge the person who allegedly detained the Chinese national with serious illegal detention.
The NBI 7 arrested the Chinese nationals’ Filipino driver after he was allegedly found in possession of a firearm and will be charged accordingly. (AML, ANV / TPT)