Bureau of Immigration agents arrested 36 Japanese citizens on Wednesday afternoon they believed were members of the dreaded “Yakuza” gang in Manila over alleged phone scam targeting people in Japan.
The Japanese men ran a phone scam targeting mostly elderly people in Japan, according to BI officials.
The scheme, which the Japan Embassy believed might have netted more than 200 million yen ($1.79 million) over several years, involved scammers calling people in Japan and falsely claiming family emergencies or unpaid bills that required immediate funds.
According to the BI, similar scams involving other nationals have been uncovered in Japan.
The BI said these scams typically use hard-to-trace internet phones, making it difficult for police to track them down.
The Japan Embassy in Manila requested the help of BI for the arrest of the Japanese men who have victimized their countrymen through the scheme.
All the Japanese men are now detained in BI detention jail in Bicutan.