FOLLOWING the intensified crackdown on illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), officials have reported that some Filipinos are now stepping in to fill the void left by departing foreign operators.

Winston John Casio, spokesperson for the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), revealed that a few local groups have begun taking over scamming activities previously run by their Chinese counterparts.

Casio’s comments came shortly after an interagency task force raided a suspected scam hub in Biñan, Laguna.

During the operation, they discovered dismantled computers at a facility linked to POGO operator Lin Xunhan.

Notably, many hard drives were missing, suggesting that crucial evidence of illegal activities had been destroyed.

The task force is racing against the clock to eradicate all POGO operations by the end of the year, following President Marcos's directive during his State of the Nation Address in July.

Casio acknowledged the challenges ahead, noting that many POGO firms have gone underground to evade detection.

Currently, there are only 38 licensed internet gaming operators left, but illegal operations are reportedly thriving.

PAOCC estimates that between 50 and 100 illegal POGO firms are still active across Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

As larger POGO hubs dissolve into smaller, more discreet groups, the complexity of the situation has increased significantly.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed this trend, stating that remaining POGOs have fragmented into smaller units to avoid law enforcement scrutiny.

NBI chief Jaime Santiago mentioned a recent bust in

Makati City, where 17 individuals, including 15 Chinese nationals, were arrested for online scamming activities.

He noted that these smaller groups are often disguised as residential tenants, making them harder to detect.

NBI Cybercrime Division head Jeremy Lotoc detailed the tactics employed by these scams, primarily love scams that target foreign victims.

The arrested individuals were part of a communications team responsible for luring victims, while other members of the operation managed financial transactions remotely.

To combat the growing issue, Casio emphasized the importance of community involvement.

He urged citizens to report suspicious activities, particularly those involving large groups of foreign nationals not engaged in tourism.

He also warned property owners to ensure they are not renting to scamming operations.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration announced it would begin searching for over 12,000 POGO workers whose visas expired on October 15 and did not voluntarily downgrade their status.

BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval expressed hope that more workers would come forward to comply with the visa regulations.(CMM)

• Tags
• #Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators
• #POGO
• #Winston John Casio
• #Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission
• #Bureau of Immigration
• #National Bureau of Immigration
• #Licensed Internet Gaming Operators