Immigration Deport 35 Indonesians from Illegal POGO Hub in Cebu

DAVAO CITY – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) deported 35 Indonesians on October 22 after their arrest for working in an illegal online gaming hub in Cebu.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado reported that the group, consisting of 9 females and 26 males, boarded flights from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on the same day.

Most of the deportees were in their 20s and 30s and were part of a large-scale raid conducted on August 31 against illegal online gambling and scamming operations in Lapu-Lapu City.

The raid, which resulted in the arrest of over 100 foreign nationals, was executed by the BI in collaboration with several agencies, including the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime (PCTC), and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).

Authorities discovered makeshift workstations used for illegal online gaming activities within a resort in Brgy. Agus.

“The arrest and subsequent deportation of these foreign nationals send a strong message that illegal online gambling operations will not be tolerated,” Viado stated. “We remain committed to upholding the President’s directive to ban such activities, and we will continue to work closely with other government agencies to ensure that those involved in illegal operations are brought to justice.”

Viado also issued a warning to other foreigners participating in similar activities: “Anyone caught engaging in illegal work without proper documentation will face the full force of the law. Our operations will be relentless.”

The 35 Indonesians have been placed on the BI’s blacklist as a result of their deportation.