The Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed Tuesday the arrest of six Korean nationals during a raid on a suspected illicit online gambling hub in a Pasay City hotel basement.

According to Rendel Ryan Sy, head of the BI Fugitive Search Unit, the Koreans were taken into custody Monday night in cooperation with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Southern Police District Field Unit and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

Among those apprehended was Ha Jungjo, who has an active derogatory record with the BI for overstaying or unexplained protracted presence in the country.

BI commissioner Atty. Joel Anthony Viado said the operation was carried out in response to official information from the PAOCC about the alleged unlawful activities of the foreign nationals.

During the operation, authorities discovered multiple computer stations allegedly used for illegal offshore gaming operations. Korean officials verified that financial transactions in Korean currency and associated bank accounts indicate active involvement in illicit gambling activities.

Most of the arrested Korean nationals had permanent residency visas and were caught running the alleged gambling hub.

All six Koreans face deportation and are on the BI blacklist, preventing them from re-entering the country.