Philippine Immigration Arrests Chinese Fugitive Chen Yongzhou in Telecom Fraud Case Topping RMB 4.73 Million
MANILA: The Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced on November 2 that it has arrested Chen Yongzhou, a 39-year-old Chinese national wanted by Chinese authorities. The bureau said he is alleged to have taken part in a telecommunications fraud syndicate that defrauded victims of more than 4.73 million renminbi, approximately US$706,000. He was arrested in Parañaque City on October 14, 2026.
In a report to Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado, BI Fugitive Search Unit chief Rendel Ryan Sy said the mission order for Chen's arrest was issued after the Chinese Embassy in Manila requested his deportation so he could face criminal proceedings in China. According to the embassy, Chen is the subject of a criminal detention warrant issued by the Xinzhan Branch of the Public Security Bureau in Hefei, China.
Chinese authorities allege the syndicate operated abroad from 2023 to 2024 and used voice phishing to target victims in China. Sy said the members used WeChat to make random voice calls and build relationships with victims under the guise of romance, then persuaded them to send gold to designated recharge points and invest in a fraudulent platform purportedly linked to the Shanghai Gold Exchange, causing losses of more than 4.73 million renminbi in total.
BI travel records show Chen last arrived in the Philippines in June 2018 as a tourist and had overstayed his authorized period of stay by the time of his arrest.
He is currently detained at the Parañaque City Jail. The bureau said he also faces a pending murder case before the city's Regional Trial Court, which will proceed independently and separately from the deportation proceeding against him.
Viado said the bureau will continue to pursue foreign fugitives and coordinate with international law enforcement partners. 'The Philippines must never become a hiding place for foreign fugitives. We will act on requests from our international partners, track down those sought by foreign authorities, and take the necessary legal steps to prevent them from evading accountability,' he said.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Chen Yongzhou 被菲律宾执法人员羁押（菲律宾移民局2026年11月2日发布照片，本站裁去原图版式边框）。
