Some 350 foreign nationals and 500 Filipinos were arrested on Wednesday in a raid at an illegal POGO company in Bamban, Tarlac.
The raid was conducted at the compound of HONG SHENG GAMING TECHNOLOGY, INC. located at No. 888, Sitio Pag-asa, Bgy. Anupul, Bamban, Tarlac.
Among the suspects who were arrested was its operator identified as Chai Kiat Chiw, a Malaysian national while Filipina Malaysian Thelma Barrogo Larnan and two other foreigners — Yu Zheng Can and Zhiyang Huang alias “Boss Wang”, escaped during the raid.
The raiding team — composed of joint operating units of CIDG3 RFU3, RACU3, ACG, RDB SAB, 2nd SAB, SAF, 3RD SAB, SAF, RMFB3, Bamban and the Tarlac police — implemented a warrant to search, seize and examine computer data issued by Honorable Maria Roma Flor A. Ortiz, Presiding Judge of RTC Branch 63 of Tarlac City, for violation of Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
Authorities said the company is allegedly operating a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment scam shielded under a licensed offshore gaming operation.
