Forty-nine foreign nationals were arrested in a joint enforcement operation by the Bureau of Immigration and the National Bureau of Investigation on the night of March 14 in a commercial building on Macapagal Avenue, Pasay City.
The operation was part of the ongoing crackdown on illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) in the country, following the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
It was conducted after a mission order and verification initiatives by the Bureau of Immigration (BI), in coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation, regarding their alleged illegal POGO operation, according to BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado.
The 49 foreign nationals were found to be working for an alleged fraudulent online scam hub operating under a legitimate digital services and online marketing company.
Viado stated that they were engaged in cyber-enabled fraud, targeting victims both locally and internationally through various digital platforms. He added that they did not have the appropriate visas and that two of them had derogatory records.
Among those arrested was a 29-year-old Bangladeshi man on the watch order list for alleged involvement in illegal recruitment activities and a 25-year-old Pakistani man on the alert list order due to suspected involvement in financial fraud.
“This successful operation is a testament to the strong collaboration between the BI and the NBI. We remain steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding the country from illegal foreign operations that undermine our laws and exploit our people,” said Viado.
“We will continue to intensify our enforcement operations to protect national security and uphold the integrity of our immigration policies,” he added.
The administration previously banned POGO operations in the country during President Marcos’ State of the Nation Address.
