Philippines Detains 244 Foreign Nationals in Largest POGO Bust of 2026

Philippine authorities have detained 244 foreign nationals, mostly Chinese citizens, in the country’s largest POGO-related operation of 2026, seizing thousands of phones and other equipment allegedly used for illegal online activity.

The Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI), working with the National Bureau of Investigation and the Armed Forces, detained 244 foreign nationals during simultaneous raids targeting suspected illegal POGO operations in Zamboanga Sibugay on October 2.

The first operation in Barangay Kimos, Siay, resulted in 113 arrests, including 110 Chinese nationals, two Cambodians and one Hong Kong national. Another 131 people were detained in Alicia, mostly Chinese citizens along with nationals of Malaysia, Indonesia and Myanmar. Their identities and nationalities remain subject to official verification.

Authorities recovered extensive technical equipment from the sites, including around 3,000 mobile phones, 78 computer monitors, laptops and thousands of SIM cards. Investigators believe some of the devices were being used as part of an organised illegal online operation.

Those detained are being investigated for possible immigration offences, including working without appropriate visas, being undocumented, illegal entry and alleged involvement in prohibited POGO-related activities. The BI is also coordinating with other agencies to determine whether potential human-trafficking offences are connected to the operations.

The raids form part of enforcement of Republic Act No. 12312, the Anti-POGO Act of 2025, which permanently banned offshore gaming operations in the Philippines, including POGO sites, service providers and related gaming infrastructure.

The detained foreigners will now face deportation proceedings where immigration violations are established, with those receiving deportation orders also placed on the country’s immigration blacklist. The scale of the latest operation shows that enforcement against offshore gaming networks remains active almost a year after the permanent ban, with authorities increasingly focusing on remaining sites operating outside the legal framework.