Philippine Bureau of Immigration deports 84 in POGO crackdown
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Junior’s stringent measures to crack down on illegal POGOs have resulted in the expulsion of 84 Chinese individuals from the country, according to the Daily Tribune.
They were escorted from Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila on a Philippine Airlines flight bound for Beijing last Thursday. The individuals had been arrested during synchronized raids to shut down illegal activities in Tarlac, Cebu, and Para’aque.
Joel Anthony Viado, Commissioner Attonery at the Bureau of Immigration, said, “This operation demonstrates our unwavering commitment to implement the President’s mandate to shut down illegal POGOs and remove foreign nationals who flout our immigration laws.”
According to the Bureau of Immigration, the deportees had either stayed past their visa expiration date or lacked any legal documents at all, a typical maneuver used in illegal gambling that has exacerbated issues in the Philippines recently.
POGOs are now banned in the country due to their suspected connections with large criminal syndicates, including their operations in money laundering, people trafficking, and other organized crime operations that threaten national security.
Commissioner Viado cautioned other illegal foreign operators, adding, “Consider this a stark warning. We are watching, and we will take decisive action.”
Last week Philippine Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros resumed her stance on passing the Anti-POGO Act, which seeks to strengthen the ban on POGOs which came into force on 1 January 2025.
Charlotte Capewell brings her passion for storytelling and expertise in writing, researching, and the gambling industry to every article she writes. Her specialties include the US gambling industry, regulator legislation, igaming, and more.
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