Philippine police have arrested six Chinese nationals who were allegedly behind a crime syndicate and rescued eight sex workers, including two from Vietnam, who were forced to work for them, Philippine media reported this week.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), the primary arm of the Philippine National Police, raided three residential villas inside the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in Angeles City, north of Manila, on Tuesday, according to Inquirer.

The raid was the latest operation by Philippine authorities in their efforts to crack down on syndicates linked to mainland China, Benar News reported.

The move came after a tip-off regarding the operation of a group of Chinese who were accused of prostituting females for foreigners in the area that targets Chinese POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator) as customers, according to Tempo newspaper.

As a result of the raid, six Chinese nationals, aged 25-34, who were allegedly maintaining the prostitution den, face anti-trafficking charges. Investigators also seized the marked money used in the operation.

The female victims include six Chinese women whose ages range from 28 to 34, and two Vietnamese women, aged 30 and 31.

This was not the first time that Chinese syndicates were known to operate in the Philippine city. In June this year, police killed two Chinese nationals with alleged ties to a kidnap gang that preyed on their compatriots.

Data from the Philippine government revealed that around 200,000 Chinese nationals work in the country, mostly in the gaming industry, Benar News said.

As many as 75 Chinese nationals were deported from the Philippines on Wednesday for their involvement in illegal online gaming operations which were busted in December last year.

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