PAOCC nabs 188 in POGO hub raid

A police manhunt for a robbery suspect led to the discovery of an illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) facility in Makati’s financial district Wednesday night.

Reports disclosed that agents from the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) raided the 21st floor of Yuchengco Tower along Ayala Avenue and apprehended 188 foreigners and Filipinos working at the POGO hub.

PAOCC executive director Gilbert Cruz said that the agency — in coordination with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and Makati police — conducted the operation.

Authorities were implementing an arrest warrant for a robbery suspect when they found foreigners and Filipinos operating computer workstations.

Cruz said the POGO facility offered online gaming services to clients in China, Japan, Germany, France, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

“The company’s international online gaming operations are not registered with PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.),” Cruz said.

The raid resulted in the apprehension of 135 foreigners — 85 Chinese, 26 Malaysians, 11 Taiwanese, five Japanese, two Vietnamese, two Indonesians, a Mongolian, a citizen of Myanmar, a Brazilian and a citizen of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Cruz said two unidentified foreigners are believed to be POGO bosses.

The citizen of Saint Kitts and Nevis allegedly possessed five passports, similar to Huang Zhiyang, an alleged business partner of dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo. Huang was described as the “boss of illegal POGOs.”