The Philippines’ Bureau of Immigration (BI) deported 35 Indonesian nationals from Cebu after they were apprehended working in an unauthorised Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation (POGO) hub. These individuals, aged mostly in their 20s and 30s, were expelled from the country following a coordinated raid in August that involved multiple government agencies, including the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC). They departed from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on October 22. 

The August 31 raid targeted a resort in Barangay Agus, Lapu-Lapu City, where authorities discovered makeshift workstations used for illegal online gambling and suspected scamming activities. BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado emphasised the government’s commitment to halting unauthorised POGO operations, noting that illegal online gambling will not be tolerated. He issued a stern warning to foreign nationals engaging in illicit activities.  The deported individuals are now blacklisted from re-entering the Philippines, reinforcing the government’s zero-tolerance stance on unauthorised work within its borders. 

NBI pursues key suspects behind POGO hubs 

Continuing the crackdown on illegal POGO operations, the NBI–Cebu District Office conducted a follow-up raid on October 23, targeting the office and private quarters of Zhao Shou Qi, a Chinese national suspected of orchestrating the illegal activities in Lapu-Lapu. Zhao, who was initially arrested on August 30 along with 169 other foreign nationals, is allegedly the mastermind behind a sophisticated illegal gambling and human trafficking network. 

The recent search, authorised by a fresh court warrant, focused on Zhao’s office and bedroom in Building 8 at the Tourist Garden Hotel. NBI agents, in collaboration with the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), seized seven steel vaults, computers, business documents, and records tied to Zhao’s activities. Authorities believe these materials may provide crucial evidence for existing cases of qualified human trafficking and anti-money laundering violations.  Arnel Pura, Agent-in-Charge at NBI-Cebu, stated that the evidence supports Zhao’s direct involvement and control over the POGO operations, which allegedly included the exploitation of detained foreign workers.    

Philippines reaffirms stance against illegal POGOs 

Viado reiterated the BI’s commitment to working alongside other agencies to combat illegal POGO operations, stating, ” We remain committed to upholding the President’s directive to ban such activities, and we will continue to work closely with other government agencies to ensure that those involved in illegal operations are brought to justice.”