401 foreign nationals nabbed for alleged POGO ops in Pasay; most set to be deported

Metro Manila, Philippines - A total of 401 of foreign nationals have been arrested for alleged illegal Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGO) in Pasay City, with the majority set to be deported.

Authorities raided on Feb. 26 a POGO hub in One Wheels Condominium, where they arrested hundreds of foreign nationals and 52 Filipinos. The authorities discovered crypto-currency, love, and investment scams, as well as spamming operations in the hub.

“It was also confirmed that most of the illicit transactions were conducted through Viber and Telegram messaging platforms,” the Philippine National Police - Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) said in a statement released Friday, Feb. 28.

Among the items confiscated during the raid were 20 safety vaults, text blasters, one-time password generators, cold crypto wallets, laptops, and cellphones.

The operation center has been closed for operating without a business permit and supposed illegal POGO activities.

Of the 401 foreign nationals, 207 are Chinese, 132 are Vietnamese, 24 are Korean, 14 are Indonesian, 12 are Myanmar nationals, 11 are Malaysian, and one is from Madagascar.

The apprehended individuals are in the custody of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said they are identifying who among the arrested people will be criminally charged. But a bulk of them will be deported immediately.

“We do hope within – at most isang buwan, mapaalis na ang mga ito [one month, they will be deported] once we get all the documents from the other government agencies and from their respective embassies,” Casio said in a Bagong Pilipinas forum on Friday.

PNP-CIDG Director PMGen Nicolas Torre III said the operation was launched after a concerned citizen reported that several foreign nationals were spotted inside the building.

NewsWatch Plus correspondent Daniza Fernandez contributed to this report.