The Pakistani authorities announced on the 17th that they had arrested 258 foreign nationals during a raid on a scam call center in Islamabad, including 170 Vietnamese and 40 Chinese nationals.
According to Agence France-Presse, Pakistani intelligence personnel stated, "The detainees were running the aforementioned scam call center in a high-end residential area in Gulberg Greens, on the outskirts of Islamabad. They entered Pakistan on tourist visas and were engaged in unlicensed activities."
In addition to the Vietnamese nationals, the detainees also included citizens from Malaysia and other Asian countries, all of whom have been detained in a prison near Rawalpindi, close to Islamabad.
Officials stated that the relevant embassies have been notified, and given that the investigation is still ongoing, detailed specific charges against the suspects will be announced in the coming days.
The official noted that possible measures may include deporting those involved in the case.
According to media reports, these suspects were arrested last week.
In July last year, Pakistani authorities also conducted a similar law enforcement action, arresting 149 people working at a scam call center, including 70 foreign nationals, the majority of whom were Chinese citizens.
● Beijing Urges Overseas Nationals to Abide by the Law
In response to reports that over a hundred Chinese nationals had been detained in Pakistan for telecommunications fraud, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Chinese government requires its overseas nationals to obey the law and not engage in criminal activities.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated at a regular press conference on the 17th that the Chinese government has always strictly cracked down on telecom fraud and requires overseas Chinese nationals to strictly abide by local laws and regulations and not engage in illegal or criminal activities.