9 Japanese in telecom fraud deported

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) deported on Monday nine Japanese nationals wanted for telecommunications fraud.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the suspects were flown to Narita Airport at 9:40 a.m. aboard a Japan Airlines flight from Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The deportees are the first batch among the 36 Japanese nationals who were arrested in Makati City on Nov. 13, 2019, by agents of the BI’s fugitive search unit.

It was earlier reported that the search unit’s operatives caught the suspects in the act of voice phishing, which defrauded many of their compatriots in Japan, as affirmed by Japanese authorities.—Tina G. Santos