THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) has arrested a Chinese national wanted in China for allegedly taking part in a telecommunications fraud syndicate that cheated victims of over 4.73 million renminbi or about $706,000, the agency said.
In a statement on Monday, the BI said Chen Yongzhou, 39, was arrested in Parañaque City on Oct. 14, based on a report by Fugitive Search Unit Chief Rendel Ryan Sy to Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado.
The BI said a mission order was issued for Mr. Chen’s arrest after the Chinese Embassy in Manila requested his deportation to face criminal proceedings.
Chinese authorities alleged that the syndicate operated abroad from 2023 to 2024 and used voice phishing to target victims in China, Mr. Sy said.
He said the group allegedly made random calls through WeChat, built romantic relationships with victims, then persuaded them to send gold to designated recharge points and invest in a fraudulent platform purportedly linked to the Shanghai Gold Exchange.
BI records showed Mr. Chen last arrived in the Philippines in June 2018 as a tourist and overstayed, the agency said.
He is detained at the Parañaque City Jail over a pending murder case before the Regional Trial Court, which will proceed separately from the deportation proceeding, the BI added.
“The Philippines must never become a hiding place for foreign fugitives,” Mr. Viado said, adding that the bureau will coordinate with international partners. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking