89 deported from the Philippines for alleged links to offshore gambling
Those deported were arrested in raids on alleged illegal offshore gaming operators.
The Philippines.- The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) has reported that 77 Vietnamese citizens and 12 South Koreans have been deported for alleged links to illegal offshore gaming operators.
Gilbert Cruz, PAOCC executive director, said those deported were arrested in a series of raids and that 51 more foreign nationals would be deported in the coming days following the issuance of implementation orders from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and clearances from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
A delegation led by Cruz travelled to Vietnam and met with colonel Le Khac Son, the deputy director of Vietnam’s Criminal Police Department, to enhance cooperative efforts.
Cruz said: “We are sending a clear message: the Philippines will no longer be allowed to be a sanctuary for foreign nationals exploiting the international digital and legal systems. These deportations are part of a focused campaign to disrupt the criminal syndicates at the source.
“Every individual we deport who is involved in these illegal operations is one less threat to the Filipino people. We will continue to identify, apprehend, and remove those who violate our laws. Deportation is only one layer of our operation. We will be creating a near-regional cohort of intelligence, coordination, and legal associations to assure the syndicates do not move their operation from the Philippines to another jurisdiction and convert back to operational mode again.”
In March, the BI banned deportation flights with layovers for foreign offshore gaming workers. Under BI Board of Commissioners Resolution No. 2025-002, deported foreign nationals with alleged links to offshore gaming operators must be placed on direct flights to their countries of origin unless a direct route from the Philippines is unavailable.
See also: Philippine election commission disqualifies Porac mayor over alleged gaming links
