Philippine authorities have arrested six South Korean nationals and 15 Filipinos in yet another raid on an alleged Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Pasay City.
The raid was conducted on Monday, with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) coordinating with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Bureau of Immigration.
The raid was conducted based on intelligence that the group was “engaged in online gaming that targets Korean nationals,” notes the Philippine News Agency.
The operation was conducted in a room in the basement of the Heritage Hotel in Pasay City, with the raid being carried out at 5:20pm on Monday.
According to the PAOCC, the individuals involved were also allegedly involved in game fixing and online scamming.
The suspects have been detained at the PAOCC custodial facility and are facing possible charges including violating the Securities Regulation Code, Illegal Gambling in Relation to Republic Act 10175, Money Laundering and the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act.
Authorities have been carrying out a series of raids to eliminate all vestiges of POGO operations in the country after they were banned by executive order, effective from January 1st, 2025.
