Philippine agents arrest 162 foreigners at Cebu POGO
PHILIPPINE authorities arrested more than 160 foreign nationals at an illegal offshore gaming hub in the central city of Lapu-Lapu at the weekend, according to a presidential task force.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said its raid of a property of Tourist Garden Hotel in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu province stemmed from the request of the Indonesian Embassy to rescue eight of their nationals who were being held against their will by the POGO operator.
Authorities arrested 162 foreign nationals working at the alleged scam farm, including 83 Chinese, 70 Indonesian, two Taiwanese, six Burmese and a Malaysian, during the raid on Saturday, the PAOCC said in a statement.
It said five Filipino workers engaged in scamming activities were also found.
“Six of the said [Indonesian] human trafficking victims were rescued, while 162 foreign nationals were caught in the act of engaging in scamming activities,” PAOCC said.
It said the POGO hub had three different scam work areas upon inspection.
“The different operating units are currently conducting an inventory of the place in preparation for the application of a warrant to search and examine computer data,” it said.
The arrested foreigners were brought to Manila “to face inquest proceedings for violation of immigration laws,” it added.
POGOs, which mainly cater to Chinese markets, have been a major headache for the government, so much so that President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. ordered their ban in July.
Congress under his predecessor Rodrigo R. Duterte passed a law taxing POGOs to legalize them, despite concerns about their social costs. Chinese President Xi Jinping had asked him to ban them.
Mr. Marcos said in his third address to Congress POGOs have been “disguising” as “legitimate entities,” but their operations have ventured into illicit areas, linking them to financial scams, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture and “even murder.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza