10 Chinese, 26 Filipinos arrested in PAGCOR’s crackdown on illegal gaming, scam?

Jenny Ortiz May 3, 2024

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10 Chinese, 26 Filipinos arrested in PAGCOR’s crackdown on illegal gaming, scam?

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) in a joint operation with the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG), apprehended of 10 Chinese nationals and 26 Filipinos in two separate raids targeting illegal gaming operations and online scams in Laguna and Para?aque City.?

Chinese nationals nabbed for various offences in Para?aque Raid?

Mobile phones, desktop computers, credit cards, cash vaults, ammunitions, vehicles and various Chinese government documents were seized during the raid. Photo credit: PAGCOR

On Thursday, joint forces comprising the CIDG-NCR and PAGCOR apprehended a group of suspects, including 10 Chinese nationals, in Multinational Village, Para?aque. The arrests were made on charges related to the Anti Trafficking in Persons Act (RA 9208), Alien Registration Act (RA 562), and Cybercrime Prevention Act (RA 10175).

Authorities confiscated a significant cache of assets during the raids, including mobile phones, computers, laptops, credit cards, vehicles, and Chinese government documents. Additionally, two vaults were discovered at the Para?aque residence, further implicating the involvement of the suspects in illicit operations.

In the Para?aque raid, PAGCOR Senior Vice President for Security Cluster Raul Villanueva said the arrested Chinese nationals believed to have been part of a group that managed to escape from an earlier raid on a large gaming compound in Bamban, Tarlac last March.

Nine Filipino female workers were also rescued, while one Filipino male serving as a bodyguard was arrested for possession of an undocumented .45 calibre pistol.

Illegal online raffle operation busted?

The operation followed an earlier raid on Tuesday with the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) and PAGCOR security personnel which led to the arrest of 16 individuals involved in an illegal online raffle conducted via Facebook. The suspects, operating under the Facebook page “Lucky Dream 4,” were apprehended while livestreaming their 50th raffle event from an office located within a subdivision in Bi?an.

PAGCOR’s vigilance against illegal activities?

In a press, release, PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco reiterated the agency’s commitment to combating illegal online gambling and other illicit activities, stressing the importance of protecting the public, especially the youth, from such harmful endeavours. Tengco highlighted the agency’s collaborative efforts with law enforcement agencies to strengthen its campaign against these unlawful practices.

These coordinated efforts underscore PAGCOR’s ongoing commitment to upholding regulatory standards and protecting the public from the adverse effects of illegal gambling and fraudulent activities.?

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