Philippine police said Tuesday they rescued more than a thousand foreigners allegedly forced to work for an online casino in Manila.
Chinese, Vietnamese, Singaporean and Malaysian nationals, among others, were in buildings in the capital on Monday night that were the target of a police operation.
Law enforcement officials said the alleged victims accepted job offers posted on Facebook to work as “online gaming assistants” in the Philippines.
The international community is concerned about the growing number of cyber scams in Asia Pacific. In particular, victims feel compelled to encourage pseudo-investments in cryptocurrencies.
AFP journalists present Tuesday saw two buses and two police cars parked in front of the buildings where the operation took place.
“This is first and foremost a human trafficking case,” Michelle Sabino, spokeswoman for the Philippine National Police Cybercrime Unit, told reporters.
“Everything is being investigated,” she added, including whether these workers were involved in online extortion.
In May, Philippine authorities rescued more than a thousand people from several Asian countries who were being held captive and forced to take part in online scams targeting victims in Europe, the United States and Canada.