DOJ: Human trafficking persists in smaller POGO-linked scam hubs
The Department of Justice (DOJ) said human trafficking linked to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and online scam hubs remains a problem in the country, although operations have become significantly smaller than the sprawling compounds uncovered in previous years.
Undersecretary Nicholas Ty of the DOJ’s Human Security and Peace Cluster said recent raids had uncovered smaller-scale operations, some conducted in a single room, compared with previously discovered facilities that occupied entire buildings and housed trafficking victims forced to conduct online scams.
“There’s no doubt na mas maliit na siya ngayon,” Feliciano said during a media briefing.
He cited previous raids on large compounds, including facilities in Pasay that operated as self-contained communities where victims were allegedly exploited and various criminal activities took place.
Recent operations, however, have involved smaller establishments, including what he described as mom-and-pop operations.
The DOJ official stressed that the reduced scale of the operations did not mean the problem had been eliminated.
The department is also examining how foreign nationals apprehended in scam hubs entered the Philippines, including whether they used visa-free entry arrangements or overstayed their authorized periods of stay.
He said the department was still consolidating data to determine the number of individuals who entered through visa-free arrangements and those who overstayed.
Ty cautioned against attributing the presence of Chinese nationals in scam hubs to a single cause, saying authorities were still gathering information.
The DOJ underscored the importance of cooperation with foreign governments and law enforcement agencies in combating human trafficking and dismantling online scam operations.
Ty said trafficking was a transnational threat that could not be addressed by one country alone.
Filipinos have been rescued from scam hubs in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, illustrating how trafficking networks can operate across national borders, with victims recruited in one country and exploited in another.
The DOJ said coordination with regional counterparts remains crucial in conducting operations, rescuing victims and addressing the criminal networks behind the schemes.