Philippines urged to deport nearly 300 Taiwanese

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Taiwan wants the Philippines to immediately deport nearly 300 Taiwanese who were arrested by Manila police in a massive anti-fraud crackdown after one died and some began falling ill in crowded detention.

Philippine authorities arrested 380 suspected members of an online fraud syndicate, including 291 Taiwanese, 86 Chinese and a New Zealander, in simultaneous raids last month in houses in metropolitan Manila and nearby Rizal province. It was the most single-day arrests in a Philippine anti-crime operation in years.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Taiwan's de facto embassy in Manila, said on Sunday that it wants the Taiwanese to be deported "as soon as possible."

Chinese and Taiwanese officials worked with Philippine police to bust the syndicate, which allegedly defrauded victims in China and Taiwan in an elaborate online scam.