Fake passport makers for POGO workers nabbed

An office manufacturing fake documents like identification cards and passports was raided by the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) in Sampaloc, Manila.

According to John Consulta's report on "24 Oras," it was also discovered that the group was making fake IDs and passports for Chinese and Filipinos who work for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country.

The location appears to be just a photocopying stall from the outside, but upon entering, the equipment and tools allegedly used to make fake IDs and documents were seen.

Pieces of evidence were recovered in the raid such as documents from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Land Transportation Office (LTO), drug tests with negative results, and agency IDs, all of which are fake. 

Several Central Processing Units (CPU) of the computers were also recovered, where the files of the contractors who work at POGO are being kept.

According to the NCRPO, this started with the fake IDs and passports of the Chinese that they handed over to the scam hub in Parañaque last month.

“Medyo mahirap-hirap hanapin. Palipat-lipat sila. Ang transaction ay three different persons. We were able to arrest personalities involved in the forging, falsification at paggawa nitong items na ito, lalo na ang passport, identification card, and birth certificate,” said Police Major General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr, NCRPO Regional Director. 

(It's a little hard to find. They move around. The transaction involves three different persons.)

Since the POGOs in the country are only valid until December, the NCRPO suspects that the Chinese are now busy making Philippine passports for them to stay in the Philippines.

“Ang kailangan nila during their travel, para undetected na maka-travel is to produce these kind of documents, lalo na ang passport,” said Nartatez. 

(What they need during their travel, to be able to travel undetected is to produce these kinds of documents, especially the passport.) 

Six were arrested in the stall and will be charged with falsifying public documents.

According to them, some Filipinos are helping the Chinese to obtain "baklas" or fake Philippine passports.—Sherylin Untalan/LDF, GMA Integrated News