A total of 29 foreigners, 23 of them from China and the rest from Myanmar, were arrested on Wednesday after authorities raided a guerrilla-type offshore gaming operation at a private resort in Silang, Cavite, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said.
It discovered the “small-scale” operation, together with the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and Bureau of Immigration based on a tip from an unidentified individual.
The PAOCC said the suspects were found to be using laptops and mobile internet in their supposed scamming operations instead of desktops and internet routers to escape detection.
Article continues after this advertisementThe raid was the first PAOCC operation conducted this year after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. imposed a Dec. 31, 2024 deadline for the shutdown of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos) in the country.
FEATURED STORIES GLOBALNATION Japan panel says 'megaquake' probability up to 82% GLOBALNATION Thousands across Gaza celebrate ceasefire deal GLOBALNATION 10 key moments in the Israel-Hamas warWhile an estimated 400 Pogo hubs have since closed, the PAOCC is monitoring small-scale operations in Northern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert Cruz said earlier this week.
A small-scale Pogo is usually composed of 20 to 50 individuals renting two rooms, usually in resorts, apartments or gated villages, to conduct fraudulent activities.
The federal and state governments’ tax revenue reached a total of 86.2 billion euros ($93.54 billion) last month, according to the ministry’s monthly report.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
Telephone Consult
