23 Chinese aliens deported for POGOs links, scams

Twenty three Chinese nationals allegedly involved in illegal offshore gaming operations and online fraud were expelled from the country amid the government’s continuing campaign to dismantle Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs).

According to a 24 Oras report, the Chinese deportees had standing of arrest warrants in China for cyber-fraud and were likewise linked to unauthorized offshore gaming hubs operating in the Philippines.

Their removal comes at a time amid the national government's move to wipe out the offshore gaming industry.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in his 2024 State of the Nation Address, publicly declared that POGOs would no longer be allowed, pointing to the sector’s reported ties to human trafficking, money-laundering schemes, cyber-scam operations, and other criminal networks.

The policy shift was formalized last month with the signing of Republic Act No. 12312, or the Anti-POGO Act of 2025.

The new law outlaws all forms of offshore gaming, voids the licensing system established under RA 11590, and orders the cancellation of visas and work permits previously issued to foreign POGO workers.—MCG, GMA Integrated News