GORY details of how over 1,000 Southeast Asian nationals have been turned into virtual ‘modern-day slaves’ inside a Clark Freeport Zone-based suspected POGO hub have emerged as authorities continued their investigation
into the May 4 raid, the Journal Group learned on Thursday.

The investigation kept going as Southeast Asian leaders including President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday pledged to crack down on online scams operated by human traffickers known for preying on vulnerable jobseekers from impoverished Asian countries.

The ASEAN summit in Indonesia called for a regional approach to combat human trafficking in which syndicates use social media and other online platforms to victimize innocent people before virtually holding them captive and forced to defraud targets online while housed in converted casinos or in special economic zones in poor Southeast Asian nations.

The raid jointly launched by officers from the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission was triggered by a complaint from the Indonesian Embassy regarding the case of at least missing Indonesian nationals, officials said.

It turned out that one of the Indonesian workers spilled the beans regarding the anomalies taking place inside the Sun Valley Clark Hub Corporation.

According to the complaint, the Indon national arrived in Manila last January 8 after being lured by an offer of a big salary and good working environment.

After arriving, company representatives seized the complainant’s passport and asked the person to undergo training without any break for four days, without being told of the real nature of the job.

The complainant’s salary plus overtime was not released for three straight months nor was the person allowed to take a break, go home early or file a resignation letter.

The complainant also sought repatriation.

Following the complaint, an undercover investigation was launched until a warrant to search, seize and examine computer data was issued by Judge Hermenegildo C. Dumlao III.

The service of the court order led to the arrest of 11 Chinese nationals and the rescue of 1,368 trafficked persons, 307 of them Chinese nationals, of which 190 have no passports.

Last Saturday, the PNP-ACG headed by Brigadier General Sydney S. Hernia sought the filing of charges for serious illegal detention and violation of Republic Act 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012 and RA 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 against the accused before the Department of Justice.

Presented for inquest were Hong Li Ji alias ‘Jason/Big Boss,’ Lui Yue alias ‘Luna,’ He Feng alias ‘Ajun,’ Tan Yong alas ‘Dolly/Beta,’ Zhang Suohua alias ‘Hao Yu,’ Liu Gang alias ‘Tim,’ Zhao Jiang Ming alias ‘Shuke’ and Fendy alias ‘Ryu.’

Investigators said that offshore gaming operations are run by organized groups, thus they will not limit themselves to one type of crime and would resort to multiple revenue streams.

One official involved in the raid said the raided company is believed to be fielding around 800 ‘workers’ who earn a minimum of US$1,000 a day from their victims. It means that the company earns around US$800,000 a day or roughly US24 million or P1.34 billion a month.

Just like what ASEAN leaders have discussed, PNP and PAOCC investigators admitted that the victims are mostly from impoverished families here and abroad who were attracted by huge salaries and good working conditions offered by the syndicate thru online advertisements.

“We have reasons to believe that this type of illegal activity is proliferating because the syndicates are getting protection from appointed or elected public officials as well as law enforcement authorities in exchange for some financial considerations,” one official who demanded anonymity said.

An accounting of the Southeast Asian nationals found in the seven raided building showed that were four male and two female Bhutan nationals; 275 Chinese nationals composed of 45 females and 240 males; a male Indian national; 249 Indonesian nationals composed of 209 males and 40 females; 33 Malaysians composed of 28 males and 5 females; 43 Myanmar nationals composed including 25 females; a Moroccan; 104 Nepalese including 64 males; a male Taiwanese; 13 Thai nationals, 10 of them females; 443 Vietnamese nationals including 326 males; and 35 Filipinos, most of them females with ages ranging from 20-25 years old.

Overall, a total of 1,333 persons Chinese and other Southeast Asian nationals and 235 Filipinos were rounded-up during the raid.

To be continued