Parañaque POGO hub raided; 99 foreigners, Pinoys arrested

POLICE operatives yesterday raided an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) hub in Parañaque City and arrested 99 suspects, mostly foreign nationals.

The arrested suspects included the owner, manager, and supervisor of the raided AIA Company, identified as Nan Shan, Detu Su, and Wu Jian Bin, respectively, all Chinese.

Also arrested were 56 other Chinese and 32 Filipinos. The others who were arrested are from Malaysia (four), Myanmar (two), Indonesia (one) and Vietnam (one).

The hub, located on the 9th floor of Centrum Tower 1 in Baclaran, Parañaque City was raided at 2 a.m. based on a warrant to search, seize and examine computer data (WSSECD) issued by a Manila City court.

The raid was conducted by operatives of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and other police units, and personnel from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor).

Police said the operation was prompted by information that the firm was engaged in illegal activities, including “love scam” and cryptocurrency scam.

“Said implementation of WSSECD is in relation to the reported cryptocurrency investment scam/love scam that the AIA Company is engaged with, guised as a licensed Offshore-Gaming Operator,” the NCRPO said in a report.

The NCRPO said the employees “were forced to work as scammers.”

It also said that “models were coerced into dressing seductively and performing inappropriate acts, which the CSRs (customer service representatives) used to lure potential victims.”

Seized during the raid were items and devices which the firm allegedly used in committing computer-related fraud.

President Marcos Jr. has announced the banning of all POGOs during his State of the Nation Address last month, saying “the grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws must stop.”

“In support of the pronouncements of (President Marcos Jr) relative to the banning of all POGO in our country, we make sure to combat sophisticated cybercrimes that threaten the financial security of our citizens,” said NCRPO director Maj. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr.

“We will continue to be relentless in our efforts to protect the integrity of our digital