PNP intensifies ops vs POGOs posing as BPO firms

The Philippine National Police (PNP) heightened its operations against illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators and internet gaming licensees amid the government's total ban on POGOs as some have continued their operations by using business process outsourcing (BPO) firms. 

This as PNP acting chief Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. hailed operatives from the the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Southern Metro Manila District Field Unit and the Southern Police District, in coordination with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), for enforcing a warrant of arrest, which uncovered a POGO/IGL hub operating behind the façade of an IT-BPO firm in Upper McKinley Hills, Taguig City.

He said the police have launched intensified intelligence-driven operations against POGOs since President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. issued an executive order prohibiting them in the country.

“The instruction to us is clear: Identify, validate and shut down all the remaining POGOs, particularly those that hide behind the names of BPOs or IT solution companies. We have been complying and we will continue to do so until all of them are gone,” Nartatez said in a press release on Monday.

He also said that there seems to be an emerging trend involving foreign nationals who are attempting to revive underground gaming hubs.

“May nakikita po tayong trend na may ilang foreign nationals na patuloy na sumusubok magtayo ng underground operations despite the national ban. Nakikipag-coordinate po kami sa BI, NBI, at DFA para mas maging mahigpit ang monitoring,” he said. 

“Pero kahit saan sila magtago, mahuhuli at mahuhuli sila,'' he added.

Nartatez said law enforcers are not discounting the possibility that some of these operators are connected to larger cross-border criminal networks.

He said that the PNP and CIDG are coordinating with foreign counterparts to strengthen case build-up against these networks and operators. 

“If there are still individuals or groups planning to run POGO-like operations, they should stop because we will find you, we will shut you down, and we will file the strongest possible charges. Hindi namin hahayaang gamitin ang bansa para sa illegal operations na nagpapahina sa seguridad, ekonomiya, at reputasyon ng Pilipinas,” Nartatez said. 

On December 1, the CIDG Southern Metro Manila District Field Unit, together with the PAOCC and Southern Police District, conducted a manhunt operation that led to the arrest of a Chinese national wanted for estafa.

They discovered an alleged illegal online gaming hub posing as an IT-BPO company. 

Seventeen foreign nationals—12 Chinese, four Malaysians, and a Vietnamese—were arrested for operating the “pin77.com” platform without proper authorization from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). 

The arrested individuals were charged with violations of Presidential Decree 1602 for illegal gambling, Republic Act 10175 or Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, and RA 11934 or the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration Act. 

Meanwhile, a total of 83 Filipino employees said that they were victims, noting that the company had allegedly misrepresented itself as a legitimate business. —AOL, GMA Integrated News