The Philippines on Thursday deported 180 Chinese nationals who were arrested in a police raid on a Manila business suspected of sex trafficking and online fraud, authorities said.
The roughly 600 people found in a building in Manila during the operation in October included Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Filipino nationals.
Sex toys, a massage parlor, karaoke rooms and a restaurant were found in the complex, which was operated by a company that authorities said had a license for an online gambling business.
Several women were “rescued” during the raid, police said.
The deported Chinese did not have work permits and were “involved in online scams,” Gilberto Cruz, undersecretary of the Presidential Commission to Combat Organized Crime, told AFP.
Other foreigners arrested in the raid would be deported in the coming weeks, he added.
Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros had previously warned of “fraudulent call centers” operating in the Philippines that employ foreigners who are victims of human trafficking in the country.
The international community is concerned about the rise of internet scams in the Asia-Pacific region, which rely on victims of human trafficking and in particular are forced to promote false investments in cryptocurrencies.
In its 2023 Human Trafficking Report, the U.S. State Department found that the Philippines “failed to vigorously investigate or prosecute human trafficking crimes” within its territory.
“Corruption and authorities’ complicity in human trafficking crimes remain major concerns,” he stressed.