Philippines Arrests 244 Foreign Workers in Scam Crackdown

Philippine authorities have arrested 244 foreign workers, most of them Chinese nationals, in the country’s largest crackdown this year on illegal online gaming operations linked to suspected criminal activity.

The arrests were made during military and law enforcement raids on two sites in the southern Mindanao region on Friday, an immigration bureau statement released late Saturday said.

At the first location, authorities arrested 110 Chinese nationals, two Cambodians and a Hong Kong resident. A further 131 foreigners were detained at the second site, most of whom were Chinese nationals, alongside citizens of Malaysia, Indonesia and Myanmar.

Immigration officials also seized large quantities of computer equipment, mobile phones, laptops and SIM cards during the operations.

Authorities are investigating possible human trafficking offences involving some of those arrested, while others are expected to be deported.

The raids form part of the Philippine government’s wider crackdown on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, known as POGOs, which were banned in 2024 after authorities linked the industry to organised crime, including human trafficking, money laundering, online fraud, kidnapping and murder.

Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado said the agency would continue enforcing immigration laws against foreign nationals who breach the conditions of their stay. He added that the government was determined to prevent the Philippines from becoming a base for illegal activities.

“We will continue to enforce our immigration laws against foreign nationals who violate the conditions of their stay and ensure that the Philippines is not used as a base for illegal activities,” immigration chief Joel Viado said in the statement.

Viado described the operation as the largest POGO raid carried out in the country in 2026.

The crackdown comes as international concern over scam centres operating across parts of Asia heightens. Many such operations have reportedly relied on trafficking victims who are deceived or coerced into promoting fraudulent cryptocurrency investments and other online scams.

Chinese embassy spokesman Ji Lingpeng told AFP that the embassy was seeking further information from Philippine authorities about the arrests.

He said Chinese law prohibits all forms of gambling, including gambling by Chinese nationals overseas and employment by gambling companies.

“We are reaching out to the Philippine law enforcement agencies on the details of this case,” Chinese embassy spokesman Ji Lingpeng told AFP.

“Chinese law prohibits any form of gambling including Chinese nationals gambling overseas or working for gambling companies,” he added.