Authorities arrested at least 400 foreign nationals during a raid on a suspected Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Pasay City on Wednesday night.
The Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) noted that the operation stemmed from a report by an individual who observed a large number of foreign nationals in a condominium.
It was previously reported that the building had been shut down, but upon returning, authorities were surprised to find that the operation of the scam hub was still ongoing.
PAOCC Executive Director Usec. Gilbert Cruz stated that five out of the seven floors of the building were reportedly being used for operations related to love scams, investment scams, and cryptocurrency scams.
In addition, they are not just targeting foreigners but also Filipino citizens as victims.
Cruz further revealed that among those apprehended in the operation was the person identified as the alleged head of the scam hub.
“Mayroon po kaming tinitignan na dalawa. ‘Yung isa ho parang galling sa Porac at ‘yung isa ho parang nahuli na ho naming dito sa Metro Manila,” Cruz said during an exclusive interview with DZRH's Dos Por Dos on Thursday.
“Yung isa parang boss sa Porac. Ang balita ko kagabi, ito po ‘yung mga nagdadala ng mga babaeng foreigner sa Porac," he added.
He also mentioned that some individuals arrested in the raid became unruly, prompting officers from the Philippine National Police - Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) to take action.
Meanwhile, there could be over 100 POGO operations still running in Metro Manila despite the total ban in place.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) earlier called on local government units to take action and ensure that no small-scale POGOs are operating covertly within their jurisdictions.
Cruz explained that small-scale POGO hubs are determined to hide their operations. As demonstrated in the raid in Pasay City, they used black cartolina to cover the windows, preventing outsiders from seeing the activities inside the building.
