The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) this Tuesday arrested 17 Chinese nationals after conducting a raid on a resort in Tagaytay City, specifically in Barangay Francisco. According to the report, the operation was conducted by the NBI Cybercrime Division after receiving a tip from a Chinese who was allegedly a victim of torture in the said area. The victim was rescued by the authorities.
When the NBI entered the resort, they discovered computer workstations and cellphones allegedly used for online gambling activities or POGO.
In an interview, NBI Director Jaime Santiago explained the evidence obtained in the raid. According to him, cellphones are used by the suspects to transfer money and cryptocurrency. He added that the victim was beaten and electrocuted because he wanted to break away from the group.
Those arrested include 17 Chinese nationals, including four women. Meanwhile, the victim is scheduled to file a complaint against the suspects.
According to the barangay, they had no knowledge that there was a POGO operation in the resort and they were surprised by the news that torture was taking place there.
Barangay Captain Ariano Ferma shared that the resort has been used for private events for a long time, but was rented by the suspects only last month. He also noticed that people at the resort have become unruly, and that other people are not allowed in because it is supposed to be a "private property".
Due to the incident, the barangay will temporarily stop the operation of the resort. They will also tighten vigilance to prevent this from happening in the future.
ABS-CBN News continues to take the statement of the owner of the resort for their side.
