Ninety-eight Chinese nationals have been deported for participating in illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) activities, according to the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

In a virtual press conference on Wednesday, the BI said the deportation was part of the government’s ongoing crackdown on illicit offshore gaming operations. This followed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to halt all POGO activities in the country as part of broader efforts to tighten national security and reduce transnational crimes linked to these groups.

The BI said the 98 Chinese nationals left on the evening of 25 February through Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 aboard a chartered Philippine Airlines flight to Xi’an, China.

The Chinese were among a group of 450 people arrested on 8 January in a commercial building in Parañaque City.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the Chinese Embassy coordinated the chartered flight as part of its effort to swiftly repatriate its nationals involved in unlawful POGO activities.

Since January, the BI has arrested over 500 foreign nationals in operations in Parañaque, Cavite and Pasay City. To date, 226 individuals have been deported.

Viado assured the public the BI is committed to prioritizing deportation procedures.

“To ensure the fastest deportations possible, we are working tirelessly with our partner agencies. This makes it clear that the Philippines will not serve as a haven for illicit activities,” he said.

Additionally, 10 Vietnamese nationals were deported on the same day from NAIA Terminal 1.

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BI photo: On Tuesday, the Bureau of Immigration deported 98 Chinese nationals who were caught working in an illegal POGO company.

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