On the afternoon of April 10, 2024, a sudden law enforcement action in a high-rise building in Makati City sparked public outrage. The scene of Chinese people shouting "Help" has sparked heated discussions, and the truth behind it turned out to be a telecom fraud base disguised as a legitimate gambling operation.
Breaking video goes viral: Shouts of "Help" from outside the high-rise shock viewers
That afternoon, a video quickly spread on social media: Outside the high-rise residential building "100West" at 100 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati, several Chinese men were taken away by the CIDG (Philippine Criminal Investigation Group), during which some emotionally shouted for help "Help!". Within a few hours, hashtags like #100West and #ChineseArrested topped the hot search on social media platforms in the Philippines and China.
People began to wildly speculate: What exactly happened in this seemingly quiet upscale residential building?
Law enforcement raid exposed: Attempts to flee, chaos at the scene
Soon, the truth of the event came to light. The CIDG, in conjunction with the Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) and Makati City Police, launched a raid on 100West. The operation was initiated by a letter of alarm: A Filipino woman reported that her Chinese friend was illegally detained and forced to engage in online fraud.
It is said that to ensure the effectiveness of the raid, some law enforcement officers disguised as civilians and "staked out" downstairs in advance. Once the operation began, suspected staff members scattered and fled, some trying to escape through the fire escape, others running to the parking lot intending to drive away. The police urgently sealed off the scene, checking each floor one by one, aiming to leave "no one behind".
False gambling actually a fraud den: Romance scams, illegal detention, and transnational gangs come to light
Official reports show that the operation inside the 100West building was not a regular POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator), but a telecom fraud base disguised under the name of POGO. Police arrested 86 foreign nationals at the scene, including 82 Chinese, with others from Vietnam and Malaysia.
Law enforcement seized a large number of crime tools, including computers, mobile phones, fake investment platform software, scripts, and "sales pitch manuals". The fraud model primarily involved "romance investment scams", inducing users to establish emotional relationships through social media, then guiding victims to invest in fake projects for profit.
One Malaysian national, Tran, was identified as the main suspect, serving as the executive director of the so-called "game support service company", suspected to be the core operator of the fraud group.
More shockingly, Chinese victims provided the police with photographic evidence of being beaten and illegally confined, confirming that the place was a serious violation of personal freedom and an illegal den.
Official response: Crackdown on illegal activities, not targeting any nationality
The raid sparked a lot of questions about "whether the Philippines is targeting Chinese people". Gilbert Cruz, director of the Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), clarified at a press conference: "Our law enforcement targets illegal activities themselves, not any specific nationality. It just so happens that most of the suspects are currently Chinese."
He emphasized that similar cases recently uncovered also involved suspects from Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and other countries, indicating that this is a multi-national cross-border criminal network.
Illegal POGO has become a national focus: The trap behind high salaries
Philippine President Marcos had already ordered a crackdown on illegal POGOs in 2023, pointing out their close association with telecom fraud, money laundering, and human trafficking. This operation at 100West is an important part of this crackdown sequence.
However, despite the increasing risks, many foreigners are still willing to come, even risking "illegal work". The reason is that fraud groups often recruit high salaries through intermediaries, some people join voluntarily due to the lure of huge profits, while others are deceived into coming to the Philippines and are then forced to engage in fraud.
"Easy to enter, hard to leave" - once these workers enter the "fraud factory", they often lose their freedom and become part of the money-making machine.
In the shadow of the sun: Luxury buildings may not hide dreams, but could also be cages
100West was originally a mid-to-high-end office/apartment building, but now it has become the latest sample of illegal operations. As law enforcement continues to deepen, such "luxury scams" are increasingly being exposed.
Many netizens commented on social media: "These days, not even life is guaranteed, let alone dreams." "Those still considering going to the Philippines for work, take a look at this case and think again."
Others lamented: "Working is not easy, but don't stake your life on it. Even in places where the sun shines brightly, the deepest traps may be hidden."
Conclusion
The 100West incident once again warns all potential "transnational workers": High salaries may not necessarily mean opportunities, but could be cages. In the Philippines, the crackdown on illegal POGOs is accelerating, while similar dark chains have not yet been completely cut off.
May every "worker" striving overseas be safe and clear-headed in finding their way out of confusion.
