Philippine authorities detain over 150 foreign nationals in online gambling sting

The Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed the detention of more than 150 foreign nationals following an operation at an illegal online gambling hub on Saturday. 

The raid took place on the island of Cebu, with the authorities busting  “at least three scam farms”, run by Chinese, Indonesian, and Myanmar nationals, according to Winston Casio, a spokesman for the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission. A tip-off from the Indonesian embassy is said to have sparked the probe.

“We’ve seen enough evidence to be able to file a cybercrime offense, for facilitating cybercrime-related gambling, cybercrime-related qualified trafficking,” said Casio.

In a statement, the BI detailed the scene with makeshift workstations set up inside the resort in Lapu-Lapu City.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco oversaw the raid, with the arrested foreign nationals to be subject to further questioning before they were deported. He also stated the resort owners should be held accountable.

“We will suggest to the authorities to file cases against resort owners for allowing their properties to be used by illegal aliens in their covert operations,” said Tansingco.  

“This will serve as a warning to those who might attempt to start illegal online gambling operations, which has already been banned by the President,” he added. 

Presidential intervention to outlaw offshore gambling operations

The sting was a joint operation, coordinated by the BI the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime (PCTC), and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).

In July, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed the ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators which provide services to foreign gamblers, particularly in mainland China, where gambling is illegal.

The president railed against the activity during an address to parliament, in which he stated: 

“Disguising as legitimate entities, their operations have ventured into illicit areas furthest from gaming such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture, even murder.”

“The grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws must stop.”

Image credit: Via Ideogram

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