PAOCC still making mass arrests despite Pogo ban
At least 453 people, including 137 Chinese, were arrested on Thursday night following a government raid on an alleged illegal offshore gaming operations hub in Parañaque City.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said that 307 of the suspects arrested inside the ATI Building, located in front of the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), were Filipinos.
Three Vietnamese, two Malaysians, two Thais, an Indonesian and a Taiwanese were also among those taken into custody.
The raid was conducted following “reports from concerned citizens,” according to PAOCC, which led the operation. Also part of the raiding team were personnel from the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Department of Justice Office of Cybercrime, Bureau of Immigration Intelligence Division, Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Southern Police District.
Used for ‘investment scam’
“Initial interviews of the arrested foreign nationals indicate [that the hub is running] an investment scam based on fixed stock exchange trading,” PAOCC said in a statement.
Testimonies from the suspects indicated that the hub was also into “a sports betting scam,” targeting Chinese and Indians.
PAOCC said five of the Chinese arrested in the raid were fugitives. They were identified as Zhou Zhushan, Ma Lin, Wei Xinyu, Li Xudong and Shen Qunxian, but PAOCC did not provide details on their cases.
During the operation, authorities recovered hundreds of computers, laptops, smartphones, SIM cards and other devices.
The suspects were taken to the PAOCC facility in Pasay City for questioning and investigation.
Total ban
Despite the ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), some scam centers continue to operate in the country.
Just last week, authorities rescued 35 Indonesians from a suspected Chinese-run Pogo hub also in Pasay City.
During his third State of the Nation Address in July last year, President Marcos ordered a total ban on Pogos, saying their operations in the Philippines had ventured into illicit activities, such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, torture and even murder.
Under Executive Order No. 75 signed by the President on Nov. 5, all Pogos, including “internet gaming licensees,” should have ceased operations by Dec. 31 last year.
Citing a report from the Anti-Money Laundering Council, the EO said Pogos had become fronts for money laundering, fraud and other illicit financial activities, thus posing threats to the integrity of the country’s financial system.
