The Boss of Yexel Sebastian Arrested
HECTOR PANTOLLANA – The alleged boss of Yexel Sebastian, who was behind a massive Ponzi scheme, has been arrested.
Hector Aldwin Liao Pantollana, a Filipino fugitive and one of the key figures behind a massive Ponzi scheme, was arrested in Bali, Indonesia, on November 9, 2024. He had been on the run for several months after being implicated in defrauding thousands of victims, causing losses amounting to $68 million. His arrest followed a joint effort between Indonesian authorities and the Philippines’ Immigration Bureau, as Pantollana was wanted by Philippine authorities for his involvement in a casino junket-related scam.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of the Philippines reported that Pantollana had promised high returns on investments in the casino junket industry, targeting wealthy gamblers known as high rollers. He and his associates recruited individuals to invest in this fraudulent scheme, claiming to offer guaranteed profits. The scheme, which had all the hallmarks of a Ponzi operation, was designed to deceive investors by using the money of new recruits to pay the returns of earlier investors.
Pantollana was charged with criminal offenses by Philippine authorities in May 2024, but he managed to escape the country before he could be arrested. His location remained unknown until his capture in Indonesia, where he was trying to fly to Hong Kong. Indonesian immigration officials revealed that Pantollana had entered Bali on October 10, 2024, before his arrest.
Pantollana was placed on Interpol’s red list, which led to his capture and subsequent handover to Philippine authorities on Tuesday, November 12. He is expected to be returned to the Philippines shortly for further legal proceedings.
Yexel Sebastian, a popular Filipino personality and owner of Yexel’s Toy Museum, had previously mentioned Pantollana as the true owner of the junket operation.