Overstaying Chinese with alleged POGO ties caught in Bacolod
BACOLOD CITY – A 34-year-old Chinese national with suspected links to previous operations of a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) was recently arrested by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) operatives in Barangay 16 here, following information from government intelligence sources.
In a report posted on BI’s website on Thursday, August 27, the suspect identified as Xie failed to present any identification and was later found to have not extended his visa, making him an overstaying alien.
The BI also tagged him as an undesirable alien, given his alleged links to online gaming operations. Before traveling to this city, the suspect, according to the BI, admitted to have previously worked in Manila as a fruit vendor.
Police Major Eugene Tolentino, head of Police Station 1, said that BI coordinated with them regarding the operation, but they have no idea regarding the suspect’s background and other information, including why he was in the city, as it is confidential.
The suspect was immediately transferred to the BI’s holding facility in Bicutan, where he will remain while facing deportation charges filed against him.
The BI’s operation here was also in coordination with the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office in line with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to ensure that the country is protected from illegal aliens abusing the hospitality of the country.
In a statement, BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado emphasized that the agency’s strong coordination with the intelligence community allows the BI to multiply its forces and monitor movements of foreign nationals nationwide.