The Philippine National Police (PNP) is intensifying its crackdown on foreign-led underground gaming syndicates following the discovery of an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub disguised as a business process outsourcing (BPO) office in Taguig City.

Acting PNP Chief P/Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the raid highlighted how illicit groups continue to skirt the national ban on POGOs despite sustained law enforcement operations.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Southern Metro Manila District Field Unit, along with the Southern Police District and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), uncovered the operation on 1 December.

The operation was launched while serving an arrest warrant against a Chinese national wanted for estafa.

Seventeen foreign nationals, including 12 Chinese, four Malaysians, and one Vietnamese, were arrested for allegedly running the unauthorized online gaming platform “pin77.com,” which had no permit from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

Investigators also revealed 83 Filipino workers who said they had been misled into believing they were hired for legitimate information technology roles.

Nartatez said the case fits a growing pattern of foreign syndicates attempting to revive their operations under new fronts after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the “Anti-POGO Act of 2025” (Republic Act 12312) on 23 October which imposes a nationwide ban on POGOs and cites their links to serious crimes including human trafficking and torture.

“We are seeing a trend where some foreign nationals continue attempting to set up underground operations despite the national ban,” Nartatez said.

He added that the PNP has strengthened coordination with the Bureau of Immigration, National Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Foreign Affairs to monitor foreign nationals who may be involved in criminal networks. “But wherever they try to hide, they will be caught,” he said.

Nartatez also said that authorities are now analyzing intelligence suggesting that some of the newly identified hubs may be tied to larger transnational criminal organizations.

“This is not just simple illegal gambling; there is a possibility that it involves online fraud, money laundering, identity theft, and other cyber-enabled crimes,” Nartatez said.

He urged groups still attempting to revive POGO-style operations to cease immediately. “If there are still individuals or groups planning to run POGO-like operations, they should stop because we will find you, we will shut you down, and we will file the strongest possible charges,” he said. “We will not allow the country to be used for illegal operations that undermine the security, economy, and reputation of the Philippines.”

The arrested foreign nationals face multiple charges, including violations of Presidential Decree 1602 (illegal gambling), Republic Act 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012), and Republic Act 11934 (SIM Registration Act). The investigation into the broader network behind the Taguig hub is ongoing.