Kawit, CAVITE — Five foreigners and 24 Filipinos were arrested in a raid by the National Bureau of Investigation’s Cybercrime Division in a subdivision in Kawit, Cavite, for their alleged involvement in various scams.

NBI Director James Santiago said the suspects, including three Chinese and two Malaysians, were linked to love scams, investment scams, cryptocurrency scams, and other illicit activities.

According to Santiago, the foreigners were the masterminds behind the operations, while the Filipinos worked for them.

The scam hubs were allegedly connected to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs).

The raid also yielded computers, cellphones, SIM cards, text blast machines, and scam screens used in the suspects’ activities.

The suspects face charges of violating the anti-cybercrime law, social engineering scheme, and economic sabotage.

The NBI said that since the government banned POGOs in the country, the operations have been broken down into smaller groups and are now being conducted in residential villages.