Philippine Police Raid Suspected Chinese-Run Online Gambling Den, Arrest Over 450
Manila, Philippines – On Thursday, February 20th, the Philippine authorities released images showing police officers from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) conducting a raid on a suspected Chinese-run online gambling operation in Manila.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) have arrested over 450 individuals in connection with the illegal gambling operation, which was located in a residential building in the suburbs of the capital. According to law enforcement officials, the site was used as a call center for cryptocurrency-related scams targeting victims in China and India.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had previously ordered authorities to crack down on online gambling operations in the country. However, an estimated 21,000 Chinese nationals continue to run small-scale online scams in the Philippines, according to Gilberto Cruz, head of the PNP Anti-Organized Crime Task Force.
This operation marked the second major raid on Chinese-run online gambling operations in the Philippines in recent months. In January, approximately 400 foreign nationals, mostly Chinese, were apprehended in a similar raid.
"We have arrested about five Chinese bosses," said Cruz, adding that they could face charges of human trafficking.
The raid in the Philippines coincided with a broader crackdown on online gambling operations in Southeast Asia. On the same day, authorities in Myanmar, Thailand, and China launched a joint operation to repatriate hundreds of Chinese nationals who had been exploited in online scam rings operating in Myanmar.
These criminal operations have proliferated in Myanmar, particularly near the border with Thailand. They often employ captive labor, including Chinese nationals, who are coerced into defrauding their fellow countrymen.
The transnational nature of these crimes has prompted increased cooperation between law enforcement agencies in the region. The Philippines, Thailand, and Myanmar have signed a memorandum of understanding to combat cybercrime and human trafficking.
The crackdown on illegal online gambling and related scams is a positive step towards protecting vulnerable individuals and disrupting criminal networks in Southeast Asia. However, law enforcement officials acknowledge that the problem is complex and requires sustained efforts to fully address.
