BI nabs blacklisted Chinese POGO workers escaping via Tawi-Tawi backdoor

Metro Manila, Philippines - Immigration officers arrested five blacklisted Chinese nationals on Saturday, March 22, at the Zamboanga International Airport as they attempted to flee to Malaysia through the Tawi-Tawi backdoor.

The suspects—Ying Guanzhen, 31; Yang Jinlong, 29; Liu Xin, 28; Shen Kan, 36; and Luo Honglin, 27—are linked to the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) firm Lucky South 99. The Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed that two of them are fugitives wanted in China.

“A ‘transporter’, according to locals, is an individual who facilitates the illegal travel of people from the Philippines to neighboring countries,” the BI said in a statement.

Officials verified their blacklist status and arrested them upon arrival in Zamboanga.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado credited the arrest to close coordination with intelligence agencies, vowing stricter border security to prevent fugitives from slipping through.

The five remain in custody as deportation proceedings are underway.

Just recently, BI operatives arrested a 47-year-old Chinese national in Anda, Pangasinan for overstaying and lacking valid immigration documents.

The suspect, Jiang Fangyuan, was taken into custody for violating Section 37(a)(7) of the Philippine Immigration Act.

The arrest aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s directive to tighten border security and crack down on undocumented foreign nationals.