Over P1M cash recovered from 29 vaults in Porac POGO hub

Authorities have recovered over P1 million cash from 29 vaults inside one of the buildings of Lucky South 99 Corp. in Porac, Pampanga, the Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub that was raided in June. 

In Oscar Oida’s report in “24 Oras” on Friday, also seized by the authorities from the vaults were foreign passports.

“Yung bagong dating na mga POGO workers diyan nila, tinatago, hinhawakan nila yung mga passports ng mga tao para hindi makapalag sa kanila,” said Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission Usec. Gilbert Cruz. 

(That’s where they keep the passports of the newly arrived POGO workers.) 

Also discovered were gadgets like cellphones. 

“Pwedeng 'yan din yung cellphone na ginamit. Parang embudo ng mga pera. ‘Yung kung saan centralized pumapasok yung mga naloloko nila, mga pera ng naloloko nila at tapos through a crypto wallet doon nila wini-withdraw,” said Cruz. 

(They could be using those cellphones to get money. That’s where they receive the money from those they scam and that’s where they withdraw the money from the crypto wallet.) 

Authorities also found documents from the vaults, but they haven’t looked into their contents. 

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) is hoping to beef up its evidence against the people behind the POGO hub. 

“We are hoping na mapalakas natin ang kaso laban sa mga perpetrators, kung sino ang mga naging incorporators and other officers of this illegal POGO,” said PNP-CIDG director Police Major Gen. Leo Francisco. 

(We are hoping to boost our case against the perpetrators, the incorporators, and other officers of this illegal POGO.) 

“Now kung may mga mga further documents pa or evidence na makita natin siguro madadagdagan pa yung kaso laban sa kanila,” he added. 

(If there are further documents or evidence, we can add more cases against them.) — Vince Angelo Ferreras/BAP, GMA Integrated News