Chinese and Philippine law enforcement authorities have arrested and repatriated a Chinese fugitive suspected of organizing cross-border online gambling and telecommunications fraud operations, according to China’s embassy in Manila.
The suspect, identified only by the surname Lin, allegedly belonged to a criminal group that established online gambling and fraud operations in the Philippines and Cambodia. The embassy said the group used gambling websites and sexually suggestive apps to lure victims, with the cases involving hundreds of millions of yuan, equivalent to tens of millions of US dollars.
The embassy disclosed the case in a July 15th post on its official WeChat account. Xinhua also reported the announcement. The suspect’s complete name and details about the timing and location of the arrest were not disclosed.
Since 2023, Chinese and Philippine authorities have jointly arrested 102 key fugitives and repatriated 2,461 suspects linked to gambling and fraud, according to the embassy. In May, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan said bilateral cooperation had led to the arrest of another 10 key fugitives and the repatriation of 46 criminal suspects.
Recent operations also included the June repatriation of four suspects linked to alleged gambling businesses and kidnapping cases in the Philippines. In April and May, authorities returned suspects accused of operating illegal gambling websites targeting thousands of mainland Chinese users, with each case involving more than RMB200 million ($29.5 million).
The embassy said China would continue strengthening law enforcement cooperation with the Philippines to combat transnational crime, protect the public’s property and safeguard normal travel between the two countries.
