PAOCC POGO raid Pasay resulted in the arrest of 453 individuals, with 401 identified as foreign nationals, following a law enforcement operation in a gaming hub.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), along with other law enforcement agencies, raided a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Pasay City on the night of February 26.
According to PAOCC Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz, the facility had been operating for two years.
Among the 453 arrested individuals, 401 were foreigners, consisting of 207 Chinese, 132 Vietnamese, 24 Koreans, 14 Indonesians, 11 Malaysians, 12 Burmese, and one from Madagascar.
Cruz explained that the POGO hub had previously been shut down, but authorities later discovered it had resumed operations secretly inside a seven-story building.
However, the hub had shifted its activities from offshore gaming to fraudulent schemes, including love scams, investment scams, and other forms of deception primarily targeting Filipinos.
Authorities also discovered 27 children and several pregnant Filipino women inside the building.
Cruz stated that the arrested individuals did not reside in the raided building but were instead brought in and out as needed.
PAOCC believes similar illegal operations are ongoing across Metro Manila, with Cruz estimating that up to 100 POGO hubs may still be conducting covert activities.