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Philippines Arrests 244 Foreign Workers in Online Scam Crackdown
Authorities said the detainees face deportation and possible trafficking probes after raids recovered 78 monitors and about 3,000 mobile phones.
- On Friday, Philippine authorities arrested 244 foreign workers during raids in Mindanao, describing the operation as "the largest POGO bust of 2026" targeting illegal online gaming operators.
- President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. banned all POGOs in 2024 through Executive Order 74, aiming to eliminate organized crime groups linked to human trafficking, money laundering, and fraud.
- Authorities apprehended 113 individuals in Siay and 131 in Alicia, seizing "large quantities" of equipment including 78 computer monitors and around 3,000 mobile phones from the Casa de Coco Pension House.
- Immigration chief Joel Viado stated, "We will continue to enforce our immigration laws," as authorities initiate deportation proceedings and investigate possible human trafficking offenses among those detained.
- Detainees include Chinese nationals, Cambodians, and citizens from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Myanmar, all facing deportation and blacklisting from re-entering the Philippines; the Chinese embassy in Manila has not responded to inquiries.
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The Philippine authorities arrested more than 200 foreign workers, mostly Chinese, in the country's largest operation against illegal online betting, the immigration agency reported. In 2024, the country of Southeast Asia banned online betting operations known as POGOs (in English as "Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators"), pointing out that they are used by organized crime groups to cover up human trafficking, money laundering, cyber fraud, kid…
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources21
Leaning Left4Leaning Right5Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution46% Right
Bias Distribution
- 46% of the sources lean Right
46% Right
L 36%
C 18%
R 46%
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