The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has deported 115 Chinese nationals arrested during two major operations against illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in Zamboanga Sibugay and Quezon City last month.
In a November 7 press release, the BI said the deportees comprised 62 individuals apprehended in Zamboanga Sibugay and 53 others arrested in Cubao, Quezon City.
Of those arrested in Zamboanga Sibugay, 60 were males and two were females, while the Quezon City group consisted of 47 males and six females.
The deportation was carried out on Friday, November 6, following the issuance of Summary Deportation Orders by the BI Board of Commissioners. The group was flown to China aboard a chartered aircraft.
Among those deported was a fugitive arrested during the Zamboanga Sibugay operation. Chinese authorities identified him as a wanted individual accused of concealing and disguising proceeds of illegal activities.
According to the BI, the October operations were among the country's biggest anti-POGO enforcement efforts this year.
The October 2 operation in Zamboanga Sibugay resulted in the apprehension of 244 foreign nationals, mostly Chinese, in simultaneous raids in the municipalities of Siay and Alicia.
Meanwhile, a separate operation on October 12 in Barangay Socorro, Cubao, Quezon City, led to the arrest of 76 foreign nationals, including 74 Chinese and two Myanmar nationals. Authorities said the facility was allegedly being used for online scamming activities.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado said the deportation demonstrates the agency's commitment to ensuring that arrests are followed by the necessary legal proceedings and enforcement actions.
“These operations do not end with the arrest of those involved. We are ensuring that the necessary legal processes are completed and that the resulting orders are timely implemented. Those who violate our immigration laws must face the consequences, and we will see to it that enforcement leads to concrete action,” Viado said.
He also vowed to intensify the BI's campaign against foreign nationals involved in illegal activities, particularly unauthorized POGO operations and online scams.
“Our campaign will not stop with these operations. We will keep intensifying our enforcement efforts until illegal operations run by foreign nationals are rooted out and those responsible are held accountable. We will not allow these groups to regroup, resume their activities, or establish new illegal operations elsewhere in the country,” he added.
The BI said the remaining foreign nationals apprehended during the two operations will also be deported to their respective countries once the necessary documentation and immigration requirements have been completed.
The crackdown is part of the government's implementation of Executive Order No. 74, series of 2024, which ordered the immediate ban on POGO operations in the Philippines, and Republic Act No. 12312, or the Anti-POGO Act of 2025, which prohibits offshore gaming operations in the country.
