More than 40 Chinese nationals previously engaged with illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) have been repatriated following a joint operation between Chinese and Philippine law enforcement agencies, according to information from the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines.
The Embassy said the workers were repatriated on 22 February as part of a follow-up to previous repatriation actions in December.
“At the request of the Philippine side and with active assistance by the Chinese Embassy to the Philippines, successive repatriations have been completed,” it said, noting that multiple joint law enforcement operations have been carried out by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and other agencies since 2023. These have resulted in hundreds of suspects of illegal offshore gambling activities being placed under arrest.
“Gambling in any of its forms is considered illegal in China, and the Chinese Government opposes Chinese nationals engaging in gambling business abroad,” the Embassy added.
“The Chinese Embassy will maintain communication with the Philippine side on offences associated with gambling, work to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens, support law enforcement cooperation between the two countries and support the Philippine side in addressing the root causes of problems related to offshore gambling industry.”
On 27 October last year, PAOCC and the Department of Justice of the Philippines organized several law enforcement agencies to conduct a joint law enforcement operation against an offshore gaming company in Pasay City and detained a group of offshore gaming employees.
On 14 December, the Chinese government, in cooperation with the Philippine government, repatriated 140 Chinese nationals who were engaged in offshore gaming in the Philippines to China.
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