CEBU CITY – More than 100 foreign nationals were rescued after a suspected Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in Lapu-Lapu City was raided on Saturday night, August 31.
THE hotel in Barangay Agus, Lapu-Lapu City where a suspected Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator was raided on Saturday night, August 31. (Contributed photo)
Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation and personnel of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, Bureau of Immigration, Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Department of Justice discovered the suspected POGO inside the Tourist Garden Hotel in Barangay Agus.
Rescued during the raid were 93 Chinese nationals, 69 Indonesians, six Burmese, and one Malaysian.
Authorities were able to detect the POGO after three Indonesians were able to escape and seek help from their embassy and the police.
NBI-Central Visayas chief Renan Oliva said that seven Filipinos will be charged as alleged administrators of the hub.
The NBI-7 will be securing a cyber warrant to enable them to check the contents of computers and other electronic gadgets found in the hotel.
Authorities suspect that the hub was involved in love scam or cryptocurrency fraud.
It was discovered after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. banned POGO operations in the country.
Because of the incident, the Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO-7) will intensify its monitoring on possible POGO operations in Central Visayas.
"Our monitoring is ongoing and we have some establishments being looked upon for possible activities related to POGO. We want to assure the public that as we said before, the PRO-7 will not stop conducting monitoring related to POGO,” said Police Lt. Col. Ace Pelare, spokesman of PRO-7 chief Police Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin.
Pelare said it is possible that POGO operations are being done in high-end subdivisions and establishments with strict security that could not be easily accessed.
He said the PRO-7 will closely coordinate with management of various establishments as part of efforts to detect POGO operations.