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Over 400 foreigners arrested in alleged POGO scam hub in Pasay
Authorities arrested 401 foreign workers of an alleged Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) scam hub operating in a 10-storey building near Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City on Wednesday.
Local authorities from the Pasay City government led the raid with operatives from the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), Department of Justice Office of Cybercrime (DOJ-OOC) and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) after receiving reports that a POGO is still operating in the building.
“We received an intelligence report na mayroong nag-o-operate ng POGO dito. Last year, may pinasara na kami dito sa 6th floor and alam ko sa 8th floor na POGO,” Pasay Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) head Atty. Patrick Legaspi told reporters.
The Pasay BPLO also said the company occupying the 6th to 10th floors of the building had no business permit or business license from the Pasay City government.
This is the basis for the Mission Order issued by the local government to enter the premises of the company.
“Obviously itong grupo ng mga mag-po-POGO na ito, harap-harapan nang binabastos ang mga batas natin. Masyado na silang garapal despite may closure order na sila from PAGCOR ay nag ooperate pa rin sila ng full blast,” PAOCC Executive Director Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz said.
Chinese Nationals - 207
Vietnamese Nationals - 132
Korean Nationals-24
Malaysian Nationals - 11
Indonesian Nationals - 14
Myanmar Nationals - 12
Madagascar National - 1
PAOCC also said that there were also 52 Filipino workers found in the scam hub.
Some were arrested while trying to escape via the building’s fire exit while the others were caught while hiding inside the building’s comfort rooms and air conditioning ducts.
“Nagtataguan ang mga foreigners. May mga nasa aircon duct. Basta nagtatago sila. Ayaw na makita sila ng mga pulis,” CIDG Director Police Major Gen. Nicolas Torre III said.
“We've already coordinated with the Bureau of Immigration para ma-check ang legality ng kanilang stay. Hanapin natin ang mga passport, ang kanilang mga work visa,” Torre said.
Aside from computers and various gadgets, the authorities also found thousands of local sim cards and multiple text blasters.
“Mayroon silang mga equipment dito na nakakapag-blast ng maraming mga messages. We suppose na ito rin yung mga nagpapadala ng mga phishing links. It's a matter of examining and looking for the correct data based on a valid search warrant,” Torre added.
Intial findings of the DOJ-OOC indicate that several scams were being employed in the facility like love scams and investment scams.
Unlike other previously raided scam hubs, lists of Filipino names and corresponding amounts received via local e-wallets were also found on some of the computers.
“The biggest po is around P5,000. Mayroon din pong P20, P70. Maaring yung text blasters ay ginagamit panghikayat para magbigay ng pera,” DOJ-OOC Head Agent Inna Protacio-Ladislao said.
The DOJ-OOC believes this indicates that Filipinos and not just foreigners may have also fallen victim to the alleged scam hub.
“Ito mas nakakabahala kasi mayroong mga Pilipinong involved. So ibig sabihin hindi lang mga foreigners ang victims nila. Nambibiktima rin sila ng mga Pilipino dito pa mismo sa ating bansa,” Protacio-Ladislao added.
Digital forensics will be done on the computers and gadgets once the necessary warrants have been secured.
Following various violations, the Pasay LGU immediately issued a closure order and closed down the said establishment.
“Sa lahat ng mga nag-ooperate pa ng POGO, hindi namin kayo papayagan talaga. Sila ay mananagot sa batas na kanilang vina-violate at sila ay isasara,” Pasay Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano told reporters after personally closing down the alleged scam hub.
Mayor Calixto-Rubiano also said that going after rogue POGOs and scam hubs remain a challenge to local officials.
“Mayroon kaming activities dito, recorded, kung how frequent namin binibisita ang mga lugar na nagkakaroon ng POGO dati at ngayon, closed na namin. Pero siguro, gano'n talaga, parang aso’t-pusa, hindi lang sa POGO, sa vendors, etc. Pag ini-inspect, nawawala,” Calixto-Rubiano said.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) also vowed to help in the fight against scam hubs.
“Every week ngayon umiikot pa rin ang PAGCOR team para siguraduhing yung mga dating pinanggalingan na mga ito ay sarado na. Pag may natatanggap kaming impormasyon sa taumbayan o sa mga tipster, kaagad namin itong fino-forward sa PAOCC,” PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco said. — BAP/ VAL, GMA Integrated News
