Iloilo City Police Dismantle Cybersex Operation, Arrest 17 Chinese Nationals

ILOILO CITY — A raid conducted in the early hours of Saturday in Barangay Lawa-an, Jaro District, resulted in the arrest of 17 male Chinese nationals suspected of running a cybersex operation.

According to Philippines News Agency, chief of the City Drugs Enforcement Unit of the Iloilo City Police Office, the raid was executed at 4:10 a.m. following over a month of surveillance. The operation, based on a warrant issued by Judge Victorino Maniba Jr. of the Regional Trial Court Branch 39, led to the discovery and closure of the alleged cybersex den housed in a rented property.

Benitez disclosed that the individuals detained were allegedly facilitating cybersex activities for both Filipino and foreign clientele. He reported that the suspects had stored videos and photos of nude individuals and had the capability to stream live content, although no models were found on the premises during the raid.

The police had been monitoring the operation for an estimated six months, with intensified surveillance in the last month, Benitez noted. The evidence collected from the scene included 24 computer units, dozens of mobile phones, network switches, routers, a projector, a monitor, a modem, and a significant quantity of subscriber identity module (SIM) cards.

The detained suspects are currently held at Stations 1 and 3, with charges being prepared for violations of Republic Act 10175, known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act. Benitez mentioned the challenge of extracting information due to the language barrier, noting that an interpreter was used during the operation to ensure the suspects were informed of their rights.

The successful operation was a collaborative effort with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center of the Department of Information and Communications Technology.