In an operation led by Pasay City’s local authorities and mayor uncovered an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) operation in Pasay, with 401 foreign nationals involved. 

The operation, which has been running for at least two years, caught the attention of the Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC). 

In an interview with DZRH on Thursday, PAOCC Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz provided further details about the operation, revealing that out of the 453 individuals arrested, 401 were foreign nationals.

“The majority of those arrested are foreign nationals — 207 Chinese, 132 Vietnamese, 24 Koreans, 14 Indonesians, 11 Malaysians, 12 Burmese, and one from Madagascar,” Cruz said.

Cruz further explained that this POGO operator had previously been shut down. To their surprise, they discovered it was still running in a 7-story building behind closed doors. 

However, the focus of their illegal activities have shifted from gaming to scamming. 

“It’s now purely scamming — love scams, investment scams... they even target Filipinos as victims,” he said. 

Cruz added that authorities believe these kinds of operations are still widespread in Metro Manila, with estimates suggesting there could be as many as 100 POGOs in the area. 

When asked about the living conditions of the arrested individuals, Cruz said they did not live in the building. Instead, they were brought in and out regularly. 

Accordingly, in the previous POGO raids, many arrested individuals left behind their families. Among them were 27 children, as well as several pregnant Filipino women. 

In response, a collaborative effort with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has been established to assist them.

“We’ve had a good discussion with the DSWD. Some children are in the hospital, and others need milk, so we’re working together to assist them,” Cruz said.