The Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) recently conducted a raid in Pasay City, successfully rescuing 34 Indonesian victims and arresting a Chinese woman named Liu Meng, two unidentified Chinese men, and a Malaysian suspect.
According to PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert Cruz, these Indonesian victims reported to the authorities that they were forced to engage in suspected fraudulent activities at a company in Pasay City. After the company ceased operations on January 21, it planned to relocate entirely to Cambodia.
When some Indonesian workers refused to move with the company, their Chinese supervisor threatened that unless they paid a "debt" ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 pesos, their passports would not be returned, and their freedom to leave was restricted.
"These criminal groups are trying to move their operations to Cambodia, where regulations are relatively lax. We have informed the Cambodian authorities to prevent them from continuing their misdeeds," Cruz emphasized.
Meanwhile, PAOCC successfully rescued a Chinese citizen named Wang Ye Fu in another rescue operation this week. Reportedly, he disappeared on February 12 and was found with clear signs of torture when rescued.
Investigators found several videos on the kidnappers' phones, documenting the abuse of other foreigners. One victim was threatened with a gun, while another woman was tortured with a stun gun, a horrifying scene.
Cruz noted that the methods of these criminal gangs are becoming increasingly brutal. "Initially, they would hire Filipinos as accomplices to help carry out kidnappings and abuse. However, they have now formed independent criminal networks with their own 'enforcement teams'."
He urged the relatives of missing persons to contact PAOCC as soon as possible to confirm if their loved ones are among these victims, and emphasized that the government will continue to intensify efforts to eradicate illegal POGO and its related criminal activities.
