Operatives from the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) Fugitive Search Unit and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG-NCR) raided a building in Makati that turned out to be a hub for love scams.
According to an exclusive report by John Consulta on “24 Oras,” the operation — aimed at rescuing a Chinese national allegedly being assaulted by the suspected POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) boss — led to a tense chase as foreign nationals, composed mostly of Chinese nationals, scrambled to flee the site.
As the operatives at the 10th floor, many ran toward the fire exits to escape. The fleeing individuals were captured on video sprinting through the building’s hallways. There were some agents who were injured during the chase.
At the fifth-floor parking lot, the operatives managed to apprehend several individuals before they could board their vehicles.
On the eighth floor, operatives apprehended more Chinese nationals hiding in vacant offices, including a woman believed to be the “big boss” of the POGO hub involved in the scam operations.
The authorities are in the process of ideitifying the individuals captured during the operation and their possible involvement in other illegal activities.
According to the Chinese complainant, the raid was triggered after allegedly being assaulted by the POGO boss. The victim showed visible injuries and bruises.
“It hurts, they were hurting me just before you arrived,” the complainant said.
The operatives also uncovered workstations, that are still operational, and are allegedly part of the love scam operations.
There were other nationalities arrested during the raid, including a Malaysian worker, who had only been working for three days and had already earned about P60,000.
BI FSU Chief Rendel Sy said the documentation of the raid is ongoing to determine if the suspects have pending cases.
He added that the individuals who do not have pending cases will be deported immediately.
GMA Integrated News is in the process of getting a statement from the alleged POGO boss on the complaint of physical abuse and alleged illegal POGO operations. — Sherylin Untalan/BAP, GMA Integrated News
