The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) stated on April 1 that after the ban on the online gambling industry (POGO), some former employees might have taken illegal devices out of the related parks and engaged in illegal transactions. The group is investigating cases involving illegal bulk SMS senders, which may be related to the banned online gambling industry.
Police Lieutenant Wallen Mae Arancillo, spokesperson for the Anti-Cybercrime Group, revealed: "According to our investigations and operations, some former online gambling employees might have taken illegal devices from the parks after the ban took effect." These devices are used for bulk SMS sending and are suspected of being used for fraud and other illegal activities.
Previously, on March 27, the Anti-Cybercrime Group launched an operation in Manila and arrested a suspect named "Popoy." During the police investigation, Popoy confessed that he bought his SMS sender from a former security officer of a POGO company. Further investigation revealed that Popoy had advertised the sale of the device on social media platforms, prompting the police to conduct a sting operation.
During the arrest operation, the police seized a bulk SMS sender and related SIM card boxes from the suspect. Officer Arancillo stated that Popoy confessed he bought the device for 5,000 pesos from the former security officer but had hidden it because he did not know how to operate it. Eventually, he resold the device for 10,000 pesos because it was his birthday and he urgently needed money.
Since July 2024, Philippine President Marcos Jr. has announced a complete ban on the online BC industry, citing its close association with fraud and other illegal activities. However, despite the ban taking effect, authorities have indicated that some practitioners have shifted to a more covert "guerrilla-style" mode to avoid detection by law enforcement agencies.
The Anti-Cybercrime Group emphasized that it will continue to closely track this illegal transaction network to ensure that related illegal activities are curbed.
