According to multiple local media reports: On October 10, Philippine law enforcement officers arrested Lyu Dong, a Chinese national suspect known as the "godfather" of Philippine offshore gaming, in the Las Villas de Manila residential area of Biñan City, Laguna Province. His real name is Lin Xunhan, originally from Fujian, born on July 4, 1991.
Lin Xunhan also holds two passports, including one under his alias "Lyu Dong". This passport indicates that Lyu Dong is from Hunan, born in 1989.
The passport photos show some resemblance between the two individuals.
According to a report by Xinhua News Agency on October 10, recently, Chongqing police cracked a major cross-border gambling case. The "DC" group, listed as one of the "top ten criminal groups" in cross-border gambling by the Ministry of Public Security, was completely dismantled. One of the group's leaders, Lyu, who is among the "top ten wanted criminals" in national cross-border gambling cases, has surrendered to the police.
It is unclear whether this Lyu is the real Lyu Dong, or if there is any connection or relationship between them, as there is no further information available at this time.
Impersonating Lyu Dong
The Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) reported to their superior, the Civil Service Chief Bersamin, on October 11: "This arrest was made after eight months of close surveillance of Lyu Dong's activities and movements."
The report revealed that according to Lyu Dong's passport, his real name is Lin Xunhan.
The committee emphasized: "It is important to note that his former associates have confirmed that Lin Xunhan often used the identity and passport of 'Lyu Dong' in various business transactions and social occasions during his early years in the Philippines."
It is believed that Lin Xunhan arrived in the Philippines at the age of 24 and is now 33 years old, having become one of the major bosses in the offshore gaming industry, particularly in the electronic fraud parks of Bangban Town, Tarlac Province, and Bao Latch Town, Pangasinan Province.
Travelling by Helicopter
Gulutis stated that Lin Xunhan could be considered the "little overlord" of Philippine offshore gaming companies. He reportedly arrived in the Philippines in 2016 and established several offshore gaming companies in the Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Cagayan Valley, and Davao Region.
"They have opened many offshore gaming companies, and we are investigating his involvement," he said.
Gulutis stated that some of the offshore gaming companies established by Lin Xunhan are still operational.
Gulutis mentioned that Lin Xunhan is on the list of individuals targeted in a raid on the offshore gaming park Lucky South 99 in Bao Latch Town. "We have been searching for Lin Xunhan for eight months," he said.
"When we look for him, he uses helicopters, so tracking Lin Xunhan has been very challenging," he added.
Gulutis stated that they would contact the Chinese embassy to see if Lin Xunhan is involved in other criminal cases in China.
Meanwhile, he said the PAOCC would investigate whether the nine Filipinos arrested with Lin Xunhan would also face charges.
"In our previous surveillance, we indeed saw how they protected Lin Xunhan. They really were protecting him," he added.
"In fact, they also had people patrolling the area on motorcycles. In the videos we saw, they would scout the surroundings before Lin Xunhan appeared," he further explained.
Deeply Hidden: No Lyu Dong in the Company
Lyu Dong's name does not appear in any company records of the offshore gaming company "Lucky South 99" in Bao Latch Town, nor in the records of the land leasing company Whirlwind. He is also not listed in the company records of the offshore gaming company "Hongsheng/Zunyuan" in Bangban Town, nor in the records of the land leasing company Baofu (Guo Huaping's company).
However, the President's Anti-Crime Commission revealed that Lyu Dong (i.e., Lin Xunhan) has systematically established a network of electronic fraud parks, often using legitimate businesses as fronts to conceal his illegal activities. Although some of these locations have been dismantled, many operations are still thriving, complicating law enforcement efforts to dismantle his vast criminal activities. These illegal enterprises have expanded to five major regions nationwide, earning him the nickname "Haohao," meaning 'boss of bosses'."
As such, ABS-CBN news reports refer to Lin Xunhan as the "godfather of Philippine offshore gaming," while the President's Anti-Crime Commission calls him a kingpin, meaning a dominant leader or big boss.
However, some senators and law enforcement officers believe there is a bigger boss behind Lin Xunhan, so in future reports, Lin Xunhan will no longer be referred to as "godfather" or "dominant leader," but uniformly as the POGO "little overlord."
