Twenty-one Taiwanese nationals will be deported to China against the wishes of the Taiwanese government on Friday following their arrest for allegedly using voice over internet protocol (VoIP) technology to defraud victims in China.

Immigration department chief investigator Uk Hai Sela said they would be deported with another 14 Chinese nationals to China. “The plane is from China, Taiwan is not involved. Even though they are Taiwanese, they will be sent to China. The airplane is from the Chinese government.”

Requests for comment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan, the Taiwan Consulate Office in Vietnam and the Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh were not returned by press time. However, AFP reported China was “poised” to send a plane to pick up the deportees, despite strong opposition from Taipei.

Eight of the Taiwanese nationals were arrested on Saturday in Phnom Penh’s Russey Keo district during a raid on a suspected VoIP scam operation. The other 13 Taiwanese nationals and 14 Chinese nationals were arrested on June 13 at a flat in Sensok district, where police found VoIP equipment.