Pasay City, Philippines — A Chinese national allegedly forced by his compatriots to work as a scammer in a fraudulent stock scheme was rescued by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in a condominium unit in Pasay City, authorities confirmed Thursday.
NBI Criminal Intelligence Division operatives found the victim inside what appeared to be a small-scale Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub. The operation was prompted by a complaint from a previous victim of the same group.
Assistant Director Noel Bocaling of the NBI Intelligence Service revealed that the victim had been coerced into participating in scams as a way to repay a ₱300,000 debt imposed by his captors. Authorities consider this scenario a form of illegal detention.
“Initially, we thought it was just a living space, but we discovered ongoing scam operations. The victim was told he had to scam others to pay off his debt and gain freedom. That constitutes illegal detention,” Bocaling explained.
Three Chinese nationals were arrested during the raid. They admitted to operating the POGO but denied detaining or harming the rescued individual. Despite their claims, the NBI has filed charges against them for illegal detention and violations of the Anti-Financial Accounts Scamming Act.
The incident has renewed concerns over the use of POGO hubs as fronts for cybercrime and human trafficking, with Philippine authorities under increasing pressure to crack down on such illegal operations.