Operatives from the Pasay City Police arrested three air conditioning repairmen for trying to sneak out a vacuum cleaner loaded with stolen cellular phones and a laptop from a closed Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) hub in Pasay City last Thursday.

Pasay City Police Chief Col. Samuel Pabonita identified the suspects as alias “Norman,” “Reniel” and “Antonio,” all air conditioning maintenance workers.

Reports indicate that the suspects were arrested at the 7th floor of One Wheel Condominium, CBP Compound, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.

The police said Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano was with members of the Presidential Anti-Organized Commission and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group when the illegal POGO hub was raided.

Some 455 individuals were arrested, 404 of whom were foreigners including Chinese, Indonesian, Malaysian, Korean and Vietnamese. The rest were Filipinos.

Pabonita said the POGO hub was the center for love, cryptocurrency and investment scams and was closed down by the city government.

Reports indicate that policemen from the MoA Substation were alerted after seeing the suspects about to leave the place together with the arrested POGO workers, bringing their tools and a vacuum cleaner.

After a check by the operatives, the vacuum cleaner contained several cellular phones and a laptop worth P220,000.

The suspects were immediately brought to the Pasay City Police Investigation and Detective Management Section for investigation and detention.