Authorities arrested 234 individuals of various nationalities during a raid on a suspected scam hub in Zamboanga Sibugay, NBI Director Melvin Matibag said Monday.

Matibag said the operation, conducted jointly by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Bureau of Immigration (BI), resulted in the arrest of Indonesians, Vietnamese, Malaysians, Chinese and other foreign nationals. He described it as the largest POGO-related bust of 2026.

“So far this year ito yung pinaka-malaki na 234 yung ating nakuha diyan,” Matibag said in an interview with DZRH’s Dos Por Dos.

Some of those arrested were reportedly in the country on tourist visas, but Matibag said those involved could still face legal consequences for their participation in illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO), scam and human trafficking activities.

To recall, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. banned POGO operations in 2024 during his third State of the Nation Address.

Matibag said the NBI is conducting a continuing investigation to determine how long the operation had been running and whether government officials were involved.

He said authorities are also looking into the possible involvement of the group in troll farm operations.

“Hinihinala rin namin sa ngayon kaya aming binubusisi maigi na maaaring sangkot din sa troll farm operations itong mga ito,” Matibag said, adding that authorities have so far established the presence of POGO and love scam activities at the site.

Authorities also rescued individuals who were allegedly victims of forced labor, human trafficking and physical abuse, according to Matibag.

The raid yielded nearly 4,000 cellphones and other electronic gadgets, which investigators are examining as part of the ongoing probe.

Matibag said the operation could be compared with the raid linked to dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, citing the scale and complexity of the activities uncovered.

“May mga rescued tayo rito, ‘yong mga victim ng forced labor, human trafficking, pananakit mayroong ganon. Maikukumpara natin ito sa Alice Guo sa Pampanga.”

He added that authorities are monitoring similar suspected operations in other parts of Mindanao and the Visayas as these activities increasingly move outside Metro Manila.