BUTUAN CITY – In a recent operation, 20 Chinese nationals were arrested in Barangay Del Monte, Talacogon, Agusan del Sur for involvement in illegal activities including human trafficking, serious illegal detention, computer-related perjury, social engineering schemes, economic sabotage, and cybercrime. The group was operating an online gambling and scamming operation connected to the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO).
The suspects were apprehended on October 3 by members of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) who raided the rented house where the operation was being conducted. Authorities seized numerous personal computers and cell phones that were being used in the illegal activities.
The operation came after a tip-off from a concerned individual, revealing that a friend had been forced to work in the online gambling and scamming racket linked to POGO. In addition to the 20 arrested, two other Chinese nationals were rescued from the premises.
According to Samuel Balisi, District Head of the NBI, the two rescued individuals shared that they had been promised a different job when they were recruited. However, their passports were confiscated, and they were told they could only leave the operation after paying between 100,000 to 200,000 pesos to their employers. One individual was injured in the raid when he attempted to escape, suffering a broken leg in the process.
Currently, the suspects are being held at the Agusan Del Sur Provincial Jail, where some of them have girlfriends in the area who bring them food.
Authorities are currently conducting forensic examinations on the seized digital evidence to further investigate the extent of the operation.
