The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Region 11 uncovered an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub hidden in a warehouse in Barangay Manay, Panabo City, Davao del Norte.
In a raid early Friday morning, authorities arrested 60 individuals, including 56 Chinese nationals, three Malaysians, and one Filipino.
The NBI initially launched the operation as a rescue mission for a Malaysian allegedly abducted by Chinese nationals. However, the mission took a turn when they discovered the illicit POGO operation, reportedly running for three months.
Confiscated from the scene were passports, IDs, cellphones, firearms, handcuffs, and a baseball bat. The alleged abducted Malaysian, believed to be the operation’s manager, escaped with several other suspects during the raid.
Authorities are conducting a hot pursuit operation to apprehend the fleeing individuals. The NBI is also verifying the records of the detained foreign nationals to determine if any have pending cases or are wanted for crimes in their home countries.
