Deported: 100 Chinese nationals linked to POGOs, scams

MANILA, Philippines — One hundred Chinese nationals allegedly involved in illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) and scamming activities were deported on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.

The deportees departed from Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 on a flight bound for Shanghai, China, according to the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

The Chinese nationals were apprehended in a series of joint law enforcement operations targeting scam hubs and illegal POGOs, according to the PAOCC.

The operations took place in the following areas:

• Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu – August 31, 2024
• Silang, Cavite – January 16, 2025
• Parañaque City – February 20, 2025
• Pasay City – February 27, 2025

The deportation was carried out in coordination with the Bureau of Immigration and the Chinese Embassy.

Tighter controls. The deportation comes months after the Bureau of Immigration imposed stricter protocols in March 2025, banning flights with layovers for POGO-linked deportees. This measure followed the escape of three POGO operators who were supposed to be deported to China but diverted to Hong Kong.

Marcos: POGOs to be banned

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. first declared a ban on POGOs during his third State of the Nation Address in July 2024, citing their involvement in criminal activity. The crackdown followed a series of congressional investigations into human trafficking, financial scams, and other illegal operations linked to offshore gaming hubs.

Following the announcement, government agencies including the PAOCC, Department of Justice, and Bureau of Immigration began downgrading the visas of foreign POGO workers as part of the broader campaign to shut down illegal operations.