59 illegal POGO workers nabbed in Panabo City
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 6 December) – Fifty-nine workers of an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub were arrested in a raid conducted by operatives from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-Davao around 2:30 a.m. Friday at a warehouse in Purok 6 New Malitbog, Barangay Manay, Panabo City, Davao del Norte.
NBI-Davao spokesperson Ely Leano said during a press conference that the arrested suspects included 55 Chinese, three Malaysians, and one Filipina, who he believed were “remnants” of the illegal POGO hubs that were shut down in some parts of Luzon.
Leano said the raid came after the NBI central office notified them that a Malaysian national identified only as “Ruby Lim,” who was a POGO worker in Manila, sought help from authorities, saying she was being held captive inside a POGO hub in Panabo.
The operatives conducted a surveillance for three days before the operation and noticed some Chinese nationals going in and out of the warehouse, which was once a storage facility for agricultural inputs owned by a Filipino businessman.
Leano said the owner of the warehouse would be issued a subpoena.
Lawyer Archie Albao, NBI-Davao director, said Lim gave the “exact location” of the POGO hub, operated by a Chinese firm, Jinsheng International, to the NBI central office.
The operatives, however, failed to rescue Lim who was allegedly taken to another place by her captors on board one of the two vehicles that left the compound just before the warehouse was raided, Albao said
The arrested workers came from Manila, he said.
This was the first time that a POGO hub was discovered in Mindanao.
Last November 5, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order No. 74 imposing an “immediate ban on offshore and internet gaming in the Philippines.”
The order states that “all POGOs/IGLs and other offshore gaming operations and other offshore gaming-related/auxiliary/ancillary services with issued licenses, permits are expected to completely cease operations, including the winding up of their affairs, on December 31, 2024 or earlier.”
Leano believed that “managers” who had “direct supervision of the POGO hub” left along with Lim.
He said a hot pursuit operation is ongoing to rescue Lim and arrest the other POGO workers.
“If there is a worker who refuses to cooperate, they will inflict harm on you… They will be tortured. This Ruby Lim wanted to escape but she managed to send messages to authorities,” he added.
The items seized from the warehouse included 60 computer units and over a hundred mobile phones, which were used for their illegal online operations; several packs of Chinese cigarette brands; passports and identification cards; firearms and ammunition; handcuffs; and a broken wooden club.
Authorities will apply for a cyber warrant to examine the seized mobile phones and computers.
Albao said it was possible that some workers who refused to work were tortured.
The POGO hub was operating for only three months.
Albao said two rooms equipped with computers and used for fraudulent activities, including online gaming and scams, were found inside the warehouse, but operatives noted that additional rooms were being built.
Leano said the operation of the POGO in Panabo was unusual from the POGO hubs raided in Luzon as it was intentionally discreet, housed in a warehouse, and located several kilometers away from the city center.
Based on their initial investigation, Albao said two officials from the local government were allegedly protecting the POGO hub but refused to provide further details. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
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