The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced that 17 Taiwanese nationals involved in large-scale online scam operations have been deported from the country. BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the deportations took place on January 21. "We are closing the doors to scammers, syndicates, and fugitives who believe they can hide behind tourist visas," Viado added. Following their deportation, all 17 individuals were permanently blacklisted and barred from returning to the Philippines. The foreign nationals were originally apprehended during a joint operation in May last year, which uncovered a fully operational online finance scam hub. Digital forensic examinations confirmed the presence of romance and investment scam scripts, messaging platforms, and other tools used to defraud victims. Several of the deported fugitives were also found to have outstanding arrest warrants abroad.
