MANILA: More than 200 foreign nationals were arrested by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) over suspected involvement in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo)-related activities in Zamboanga Sibugay, in what authorities considered the “largest Pogo bust” of the year so far.
According to the BI on Saturday, simultaneous operations were conducted in Barangay Kimos in Siay and Barangay Tandiong Muslim in Alicia last Friday, leading to the arrest of 244 foreigners, most of whom were Chinese.
“At the Siay operation, BI teams apprehended 113 foreign nationals, consisting of 110 Chinese nationals, two Cambodians, and one Hong Kong national. At the Alicia operation, another 131 foreign nationals were apprehended, mostly Chinese, along with nationals from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Myanmar.
The identities and nationalities of those apprehended remain subject to verification by the BI Alien Registration Division,” the agency said.
The authorities recovered 78 computer monitors, around 3,000 mobile phones, laptops, and cellular SIM cards from the Casa de Coco Pension House compound.
The agency also said that technical devices suspected to be used for online scams were seized during the operations, noting that this revealed an organised illegal online operation at the site.
The agency noted that the operations were part of its continuing enforcement of Executive Order No. 74, series of 2024, which banned Pogo operations in the country, and Republic Act 12312 or the Anti-Pogo Act of 2025.
According to the BI, the arrested foreign nationals are being investigated for alleged immigration violations, particularly for working without proper work visas and documentation; involvement in illegal Pogo-related activities; being undocumented; and illegal entry.
The agency was also coordinating with other law enforcement agencies over possible human trafficking-related violations arising from the operations.
“The apprehended foreign nationals will undergo appropriate deportation proceedings for their alleged violations of Philippine immigration laws. Upon the issuance of a deportation order, their names will be placed on the Bureau’s blacklist, barring them from re-entering the country,” the BI said.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado commended the operations, vowing to continue the crackdown on Pogo activities in the country.
He said that his agency “will continue to enforce our immigration laws against foreign nationals who violate the conditions of their stay and ensure that the Philippines is not used as a base for illegal activities.” /dl
