Philippine law enforcement agencies, in collaboration with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), have conducted two successful raids targeting illegal gaming operations and online scams.
The raids have resulted in the arrest of 10 Chinese nationals and 26 Filipinos across Laguna and Parañaque City.
The first raid – conducted in Biñan, Laguna – led to the apprehension of 16 individuals involved in running an illegal online raffle on Facebook under the guise of a page named Lucky Dream 4.
The Lucky Dream 4 group, who amassed 111,000 Facebook followers, enticed participants with live raffle games offering second-hand modified motorcycles as prizes.
This operation saw suspects caught red-handed while livestreaming their 50th raffle event.
In the build-up to the raid, PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco, said: “We have been receiving reports of illegal online activities including those in social media platforms. As the country’s gaming regulator, it is our duty to protect the public – especially the youth – from these illegal online gambling sites.”
In a subsequent operation in Parañaque, authorities apprehended 10 Chinese nationals suspected of involvement in various scams.
This operation, coordinated by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region and PAGCOR, also resulted in the rescue of nine Filipino workers and the confiscation of numerous electronic devices, credit cards, vehicles and Chinese government documents.
Last month, PAGCOR delivered Php4.59bn ($81.6m) in cash dividends to the State Treasury – a figure that represented 75% of PAGCOR's net earnings in 2023.
