TAIPEI (Taiwan News) —  Seventeen Taiwanese suspected of online fraud were deported from the Philippines on Wednesday following a joint investigation.

Over 11 months of intelligence sharing and surveillance, Taiwanese and Philippine authorities identified a fraud operation in a high-end residential area of Cebu City, per CNA. In a May raid, led by officers from Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau, police seized multiple computers, telecommunications equipment, and fraud training manuals, and arrested 17 Taiwanese suspects, including six fugitives.

The suspects, 16 men and one woman, were detained by Philippine authorities and later deported after court proceedings concluded. They were escorted back to Taiwan by personnel from the Criminal Investigation Bureau, the National Immigration Agency, and the Philippine Bureau of Immigration.

Upon arrival at Taoyuan Airport, police formally arrested the suspects, verified their identities, and took them to the CIB for questioning. They will be transferred to the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office for further investigation, per CNA.

Police found that the group used romance, investment, and charity scams to lure Taiwanese into investing in cryptocurrency schemes. To date, over 40 victims in Taiwan have been identified, with losses exceeding NT$40 million (US$1.26 million).