Philippine authorities recently raided a commercial building in Makati City, suspected to be a stronghold of the Philippine offshore gaming operator POGO. However, when law enforcement arrived, the suspects had already evacuated, presumably tipped off.
On the evening of March 6, the President's Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), together with the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Makati City government, conducted a raid on a network BC center in the Ayala area. However, upon arrival, all personnel at the scene had fled.
Law enforcement confirmed that one of the floors in the commercial building indeed housed a network BC operation. Currently, the Makati Business Permits Office is verifying whether the employees of the enterprise hold valid licenses and work permits, while also checking if other businesses in the building comply with commercial operating permits.
Despite not capturing the suspects, law enforcement found a large amount of evidence at the scene, including mobile phones, numerous pre-registered SIM cards, and training scripts detailing scam techniques. The documents involved internet fraud, cryptocurrency scams, and investment fraud.
Gilbert Cruz, Deputy Minister of the President's Anti-Organized Crime Commission, stated: "These scam scripts are all in English, clearly intended for English-speaking Filipino employees. According to witness testimonies, those involved in the scam work are indeed Filipinos."
He further revealed that the investigation found that the center had a dedicated training room for teaching Filipino employees how to conduct scams.
Regarding why the suspects were able to escape before the raid, Cruz stated that authorities would investigate whether there was an internal leak of information. Nevertheless, he still believes that the operation achieved its significant objective—successfully shutting down the scam center and cutting off its operational chain.
"Although we were unable to capture the suspects on the spot, at least we have successfully dismantled a large scam hub and will continue to intensify our efforts in the future," Cruz emphasized.
Currently, law enforcement is further investigating the identities of the related personnel and planning subsequent actions to prevent such scam centers from resurging.
