BI expels 115 foreigners caught in anti-POGO operations
THE 115 Chinese nationals are waiting to board a chartered flight at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City on Friday as the Bureau of Immigration deported the aliens following summary deportation orders stemming from anti-illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator raids in Zamboanga Sibugay and Cubao, Quezon City.
Photograph courtesy of bureau of immigration
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has deported 115 Chinese nationals arrested during separate enforcement operations against illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in Zamboanga Sibugay and Quezon City, officials announced Friday.
The deportees — comprising 62 individuals apprehended in Zamboanga Sibugay and 53 arrested in Cubao, Quezon City, during October raids — were repatriated to China aboard a chartered China Southern Airlines flight following summary deportation orders issued by the BI Board of Commissioners.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado stated that the deportations reflect the agency’s strict stance against foreign nationals engaging in unauthorized commercial activities and illegal cyber-gambling operations within the country.
“The ongoing deportation underscores the BI’s commitment to ensuring that foreign nationals involved in illegal activities face the consequences of their actions,” Viado said.
Viado added that the agency will continue intensifying field enforcement operations and coordinating with local law enforcement and international intelligence partners to crack down on unauthorized POGO hubs, online scam syndicates, and related transnational crimes.