
29 aliens arrested in raided POGO firm inside Cavite resort
A PHILIPPINE National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-led anti-POGO operation in Silang, Cavite on Wednesday afternoon led to the discovery of a secret facility-cum-“scam farm” being operated by a group of Chinese nationals, a report to PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco D. Marbil said.
According to PNP-CIDG director Brig. Gen. Nicolas D. Torre III, the raid at the Elijosh Resort located in Bgy. Lalaan 2 in Silang municipality 3:30 p.m. Wednesday resulted in the arrest of 23 Chinese nationals and six others from Myanmar.
Members of the CIDG Regional Field Unit 4-A were joined by officers from the Cavite Police Provincial Office, the Bureau of Immigration, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and the Silang local government unit in conducting the anti-POGO operation, the official said.
Torre said they launched the operation following a complaint from the resort owner regarding suspected POGO operations being conducted by their lessee in November last year. The lessee was reportedly endorsed by a certain “Olivia Miguel.”
However, the owner eventually discovered that there were around 50 to 60 foreign nationals, all believed to be Chinese and Korean nationals entering the resort regularly carrying illegal gambling paraphernalia as well as desktop and laptop computers.
“We validated the information with the help of the resort owner and discovered that indeed, there were ongoing POGO operations in the area,” the PNP-CIDG director said.
In compliance to the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Gen. Marbil to go all-out against POGO facilities in the country, the PNP-CIDG conducted the operation, with their partner-law enforcement agencies, targeting in particular one Chen Xiaboang.
“The operation resulted in the arrest of 23 Chinese nationals and six Myanmar nationals and the seizure of a number of evidence,” Torre said.
Apprehended during the operation were Chinese nationals Lin Wu, 34,; Jinxing Chao, 28; Zhou Mei Gui, 27; Liang Guodong, 26; Linyou Yu, 36; Huang Guang Hua, 36; Zhuzheng Yan, 35; Lin Tao, 33; Lin Tong, 24; Zhang Yu, 35; Huan Kang, 24; Gao Fei, 24; Liang Qu Ning, 38; Tian Mao Sheng, 24; Jiang Yuping, 22; Jiong Yubin, 23; Ling Jie, 35; Pan Cheng, 23; Li Shui Ming, 39; Zoh Sibing, 35; Du Wang Zhu, 34; Yao Le, 40; and Xu Xun Ming, 55.
Also taken into custody were Myanmar nationals Ei Ei Krhin Htwe, 23; Chaw Sy, 26; Min Htet Paing, 27; Thet Thet Aung, 24; Khin Thin Lah, 25; and Kyu Kyu, 25;
The 29 have been placed under the legal custody of the PAOCC pending their deportation.
The Cavite raid came as Marbil said they won’t be letting their guards down when it comes to monitoring and neutralizing POGO facilities that may turn underground to engage in online scams and other criminal activities.
Marbil said that on orders of President Marcos Jr., he has ordered a close watch on banned POGO companies that may go underground and break into small groups now that they are completely prohibited from operating nationwide.
Police nationwide have been told to ensure that they will be fully monitoring and going after former POGO/Internet Gaming Licensees that may use legitimate Business Process Outsourcing or BPO companies as a “cover” for their illicit business.
Official records showed that amid its intensified crackdown against POGOs involved in illegal activities in 2024, the PNP conducted a total of 16 operations, 11 of them by the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group; four by the National Capital Region Police Office and one by the Police Regional Office 7 in Central Visayas.
Those operations resulted in the arrest of 419 suspects who were all referred to the prosecutor’s office for arraignment. All accused are now undergoing trial.
The 2024 records also showed that police rescued 1,196 victims of the raided POGO hubs. Majority of them have been deported to their mother countries.
President Marcos has told the PNP top brass that there is a tendency that these POGOs may break into small groups and rent houses and apartments in gated subdivisions and small communities.
Another possibility is that guerrilla POGO operators will try to move their former employees-hundreds or thousands of them-to remote parts of the country, where they could build POGO establishments like those discovered in some parts of Metro Manila and Pampanga, Tarlac and Cebu provinces. By Alfred Dalizon and Dennis Abrina