Authorities apprehended 17 foreigners and 95 Filipinos at a suspected Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGO) hub at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.
In Nico Waje’s exclusive report on “Saksi” on Monday night, the suspected POGO hub – housed on the 10th floor of a building – reportedly claimed to be an IT solutions company.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), and Southern Police District (SPD) were initially out to implement an arrest warrant against a Chinese national wanted for estafa.
Authorities received intelligence information that the suspect was on the 10th floor of a building at the Bonifacio Global City. Law enforcers arrested him, but also discovered the operations of a suspected POGO hub.
“Actually itong Chinese na ito, minomonitor namin ito ng mga about almost a week. Mailap lang kasi siya, kaya ngayon lang namin na-tsambahan,” said Police Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Amindalan of the CIDG.
(We’ve been monitoring this Chinese national for almost a week. He kept on eluding us, and it was only now that we caught up to him.)
At the 10th floor of the building, law enforcers were surprised to witness the alleged illegal operations of a suspected POGO.
The hub had eight long tables with over 100 computers, whose monitors displayed the alleged URL for illegal online gambling. Several smartphones were also found at each table.
The CIDG suspected that the hub was also involved in love scams.
“During the service ng warrant of arrest, nakita natin na talagang may POGO hub doon na maraming computers, maraming mga love scam doon sa monitor makikita, at saka mga gambling, illegal gambling online,” Amindalan said.
(During the service of the warrant of arrest, we saw that there was really a POGO hub with many computers, there were love scams displayed on the monitors, and gambling, illegal gambling online.)
The CIDG said the suspected POGO hub presented itself as an IT solutions company but said the company name was not registered with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
Authorities are still conducting documentation and verification of the 17 foreigners and 95 Filipinos who were allegedly working at the suspected POGO hub.
“Continuous pa rin yung documentation namin sa kanila, at kung talagang may violation, may working permit din yung mga foreigners natin, then dito lang. At kung wala, may additional case to be filed against them,” Amindalan said.
(We are still continuously conducting our documentation, if there’s a violation, if they have a working permit. If there’s none, that’s an additional case to be filed against them.)
The Filipinos are undergoing verification as well and might be charged for working illegally in a POGO hub, which was declared illegal by a law earlier this year.
When asked for comment by GMA Integrated News, some of the Filipino employees denied that they were working for a POGO hub. They also denied involvement in love scams.
The CIDG said the Chinese national that was the original target of their operation may have served as the interpreter of the POGO hub.
GMA Integrated News is reaching out to the arrested Chinese national and to the owner of the establishment where the arrests were carried out. — JMA, GMA Integrated News
