GEN. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., National Police (PNP) chief, on Thursday said that the service will recalibrate its intelligence and surveillance strategies to detect and dismantle smaller scam operations.
Nartatez ordered this shift in strategy following reports that illegal Philippines offshore gaming operators (Pogo) were shifting to rented houses in Metro Manila to evade authorities.
‘We are recalibrating our police strategy from broad-scale raids to surgical, intelligence-driven operations utilizing cyber-surveillance, high-bandwidth usage tracking, and community-level monitoring,’ Nartatez said in a statement.
The PNP chief said this is in-line with President Marcos Jr.’s orders to enforce the total ban on offshore gaming operations and prevent their resurgence under new disguises.
Earlier reports said law enforcement authorities are now tracking three active micro-scam hubs in Metro Manila.
These operations reportedly use small rented houses accommodating 10 to 20 people, a departure from the large compounds previously used to house thousands of workers.
Nartatez said the PNP was taking the evolving threat seriously and would work closely with other law enforcement agencies to prevent illegal operators from reestablishing their activities despite the nationwide ban on Pogos.
‘We take this evolving threat with absolute seriousness, and the PNP is working hand-in-hand with our law enforcement partners to dismantle these clandestine operations,’ he added.
‘While the total ban on Pogos neutralized massive compounds, these micro hubs represent desperate attempts to evade detection-attempts that our intelligence networks will aggressively hunt down and neutralize,’ the PNP chief said.
The reported emergence of smaller operations came after the October 2 raid on a suspected scam hub in Zamboanga Sibugay, which resulted in the arrest and rescue of 244 foreigners, mostly Chinese.
Nartatez also stressed that the PNP would pursue accountability for any personnel found to be involved in or providing protection to illegal scam operations after reports surfaced that dismissed police officers and military personnel were being used as henchmen in the operation of micro-scam hubs.