BI nabs 244 foreign nationals in Zamboanga Sibugay Pogo crackdown

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested 244 foreign nationals—mostly Chinese—during simultaneous operations targeting suspected POGO-related activities in two municipalities in Zamboanga Sibugay on Friday, 2 October.

The operations were conducted in Barangay Kimos, Siay and Barangay Tandiong Muslim, Alicia, pursuant to separate mission orders issued by the BI.

The operations form part of the BI's continuing enforcement of Executive Order No. 74, series of 2024, which ordered the immediate ban on POGO operations in the Philippines, and Republic Act No. 12312 or the Anti-POGO Act of 2025, which prohibits offshore gaming operations and the establishment or operation of POGO sites in the country.

At the Siay operation, BI teams apprehended 113 foreign nationals, consisting of 110 Chinese nationals, two Cambodians, and one Hong Kong national. At the Alicia operation, another 131 foreign nationals were apprehended, mostly Chinese, along with nationals from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Myanmar. The identities and nationalities of those apprehended remain subject to verification by the BI Alien Registration Division.

The foreign nationals are being investigated for alleged immigration violations, including working without the proper work visa in violation of the terms and conditions of their admission under Section 37(a)(7) of Commonwealth Act No. 613, as amended; for undesirability due to their alleged involvement in illegal POGO-related online activities; being undocumented; and, in some cases, illegal entry.

BI operatives and their law enforcement counterparts recovered large quantities of computer equipment, including 78 computer monitors, roughly 3,000 mobile phones, laptops, and cellular SIM cards from the Casa de Coco Pension House compound. Raiding agencies also seized a significant number of technical devices believed to have been utilized for online scams, revealing an organized illegal online operation at the site.

The operations were conducted by the BI Regional Intelligence Operations Units in Mindanao and BI Intelligence Division personnel, in coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado commended the operating teams and their law enforcement partners for the coordinated operations, emphasizing the Bureau's continuing enforcement of immigration laws and the government's prohibition against illegal POGO activities.

“The Bureau of Immigration is firmly implementing the government's policy against illegal POGO operations. We will continue to enforce our immigration laws against foreign nationals who violate the conditions of their stay and ensure that the Philippines is not used as a base for illegal activities,” Viado said.

The BI is also coordinating with other law enforcement agencies regarding possible human trafficking-related violations arising from the operations. Any determination of trafficking offenses remains subject to investigation by the appropriate authorities.

The apprehended foreign nationals will undergo appropriate deportation proceedings for their alleged violations of Philippine immigration laws. Upon the issuance of a deportation order, their names will be placed on the Bureau’s blacklist, barring them from re-entering the country.