The Bureau of Immigration (BI) of the Philippines recently raided a hotel in Pasay City, arresting six South Korean suspects involved in alleged illegal online gambling.
Rendel Ryan Sy, head of the Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) of the BI, stated that the operation was launched on February 17 and was jointly conducted by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Southern Police District Field Unit of the Philippine Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG-SPIDFU). This raid is part of the Philippine government's efforts to strengthen border security and combat illegal foreign activities.
One of the arrested, Ha Jungjo, has been blacklisted by the BI for overstaying and suspected illegal activities.
Joel Anthony Viado, the Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration, noted that the raid was carried out following a notification from the PAOCC. "This successful operation demonstrates our determination to combat illegal foreign enterprises, especially those involved in illegal online gambling," he said.
Law enforcement officers found several computers used for the illegal gambling operations at the scene. South Korean authorities have confirmed that these suspects were involved in transactions involving Korean won and related bank accounts, indicating their active participation in illegal gambling activities.
Viado emphasized that the Philippine government will continue to intensify law enforcement to uphold national legal order. Although the custody of the six Koreans has been transferred to the PAOCC, the BI still retains legal guardianship over them and has initiated deportation proceedings.
He added, "We will strictly follow due legal procedures and cooperate with relevant law enforcement agencies to ensure that these foreigners engaged in illegal activities are deported."
Currently, all six suspects face the risk of deportation and being blacklisted in the Philippines, which would bar them from re-entering the country in the future.
