32 POGO workers held in BI, NBI raid

MANILA, Philippines — Thirty-two foreign nationals were arrested when authorities raided another Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) facility in Parañaque over the weekend.

The raid was conducted by the Bureau of Immigration in coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), according to BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado. 

The alleged POGO workers are 20 Chinese, 11 Malaysians and a Cambodian.

Viado said the foreigners were involved in online gaming and scamming operations in a building in Aseana City, a mixed-use central business district.

The government will continue the crackdown on illegal POGOs, Viado said.

“Let this be a warning to foreign nationals who blatantly continue their illegal operations despite the President’s ban on POGOs,” Viado said. “We will not stop until all illegal aliens are arrested and deported.”

The suspects will remain in the NBI custody while undergoing deportation proceedings.

More arrests and deportations of foreigners are expected as the President banned POGOs in July last year, the BI said.