Illegal POGO business in Parañaque City busted; 44 Chinese nabbed

Photo courtesy of the Southern Police District

MANILA, Philippines — Police have arrested 44 Chinese and nine Filipinos as authorities uncovered they were carrying on with their Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) business in Parañaque City despite the prevailing enhanced community quarantine across Luzon.

All 53 suspects were collared on Friday night in Barangay Tambo, police said.

Based on the investigation, police received a call from a concerned citizen who said that he saw armed Chinese men outside their residence during curfew hours.

Police responded to the report and confronted the Chinese individuals, whose guns were tucked in their waists.

But instead of yielding the group of Chinese tried to escape, resulting in a brief chase before they were apprehended by police. During the operation, authorities discovered their ongoing online gambling operation in the residence.

Police said that among the pieces of evidence recovered from the scene were cash amounting to P1,335,010, 255 Chinese Yuan, and 73 Chinese passports.

Further, police said they retrieved nine internet modems, five pistols, five belt bags, 400 pieces of cellphones, 17 computer desktops, and 36 laptop computers.

POGO businesses have been suspended since Luzon was placed under enhanced community quarantine to control the transmission of the novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2, which leads to the highly contagious respiratory illness COVID-19 that was first detected in China’s Wuhan City, Hubei province.

KGA

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