2 raids net 10 Chinese, 26 Pinoys for illegal games, online scams

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has reported the arrest of 10 Chinese nationals and 26 Filipinos in two distinct crackdowns targeting illegal gaming activities and online scams in Laguna and Parañaque City since Tuesday.

The first operation in Biñan, Laguna on Tuesday, 1 May, resulted in the arrest of 16 people who were running an illegal online raffle on Facebook. The raiders were from the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) and the PAGCOR security group.

The suspects, which run the FB Page Lucky Dream 4, were caught red-handed in their office located inside a subdivision while livestreaming their 50th raffle event.

Earlier today, 2 May, another group of suspects that included 10 Chinese nationals were arrested by joint elements of the CIDG-NCR and PAGCOR inside a house in Multinational Village, Parañaque for violation of the Anti Trafficking in Persons Act (RA 9208), Alien Registration Act (RA 562), and Cybercrime Prevention Act (RA 10175).

PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco said the arrests are part of the state gaming agency’s intensified campaign against illegal online gambling and other illicit activities through strengthened collaboration with law enforcement agencies.

“We have been receiving reports of illegal online activities including those in social media platforms. As the country’s gaming regulator, it is our duty to protect the public — especially the youth — from these illegal online gambling sites,” he said.

PAGCOR Senior Vice President for Security Cluster Raul Villanueva said Lucky Dream 4, which has 111,000 followers on Facebook, was conducting live online raffles that offered second-hand modified motorcycles as prizes.

Villanueva said that in one raffle event, the group can sell an average of 40,000 to 50,000 tickets, with each ticket costing P40.

“They have amassed over Php8 million from the time they started this illegal online operation because in one draw, they can sell as many as 50k tickets,” Villanueva said.

“Ang masaklap nito, karamihan sa miyembro ng grupong ito ay kabataan. Ang pinaka-matanda sa kanila ay 27 years old pa lang,” he said.

“The Lucky Dream 4 group is obviously engaged in an illegal online gaming activity. Negosyo na ang ginagawa nila. They need to secure a license from PAGCOR if they want to operate an online gaming platform,” Villanueva added.

In the Parañaque raid, Villanueva said authorities arrested seven male and three female Chinese nationals believed to have been part of a group that managed to escape from an earlier raid on a large gaming compound in Bamban, Tarlac last March.

Nine Filipino female workers were also rescued, while one 1 Filipino male serving as a bodyguard was arrested for possession of an undocumented .45 caliber pistol.

The raiders also confiscated around 75 mobile phones, 30 desktop computers, 50 laptops, assorted credit cards, two cars and one motorcycle along with assorted Chinese government documents.

Two vaults were also found in the house located at 18 Teheran Street inside the exclusive subdivision.

Police said the Chinese suspects were engaged in scamming activities such as love and cryptocurrency scams similar to the illegal activities in the Bamban, Tarlac compound which was raided last March.