Vietnam rescues 60 from forced labour for Philippine gambling operation

The victims were tricked into entering the Philippines illegally and forced to work in online gambling.

Vietnam.- Some 60 Vietnamese citizens have been repatriated after allegedly being tricked into working at an online gambling operation in the Philippines. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the victims were among a group of Asian workers forcibly employed at a casino owned by the Clark Sun Valley Hub Corporation in the Philippines’ Pampanga Province.

A rescue mission was carried out by the Philippine National Police (PNP), who conducted a raid on May 4, liberating approximately 1,090 workers from various Asian countries. They are believed to have been lured into the Philippines under false pretences and coerced into working against their will. Their daily tasks involved engaging in online scams to defraud individuals into purchasing cryptocurrencies or depositing funds into fraudulent bank accounts.

See also: 43 people rescued from gaming operation in the Philippines

Michelle Sabino, a spokesperson for the PNP’s cybercrime group, told VN Express the victims had initially accepted the job offers due to promises of free travel and accommodation. However, upon their arrival in the Philippines, their passports were confiscated, and they were subjected to gruelling shifts lasting up to 18 hours per day. 

Following the operation, the PNP arrested 12 people suspected of being the ringleaders of the human trafficking scheme. Among the apprehended suspects were seven Chinese nationals, four Indonesians and one Malaysian. They face charges related to human trafficking.

Over the past year, more than 1,000 Vietnamese victims have been rescued from similar situations in Cambodia. The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the PNP and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) also rescued 40 foreign nationals who were working at an illegal offshore gaming company.