Philippines expels 89 foreigners involved in POGO and fraud cases, primarily from Vietnam and South Korea.

On June 5, the Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) announced that 89 foreigners suspected of involvement in illegal offshore gambling (POGO) and fraud activities were formally deported from June 3 to 5. The deportees included 77 Vietnamese and 12 South Koreans, who had previously been arrested in multiple joint law enforcement operations, with cases covering illegal gambling, human trafficking, and online fraud.

The deportation of these foreign nationals originated from a raid on October 31, 2024, in a BPO park in Bagac town, Bataan province, suspected of concealing illegal POGO operations. The 89 individuals were not arrested for the first time but were officially expelled following identity verification and legal procedures in accordance with immigration law.

This operation was personally conducted by PAOCC Deputy Minister Gilberto Cruz in Vietnam, where he coordinated with officials from the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security. Cruz stated that the Philippines would no longer serve as a haven for transnational criminals and that future efforts would be enhanced to cooperate with neighboring countries, establish mechanisms for intelligence sharing and legal collaboration, and prevent criminal groups from relocating or re-establishing bases in the region.