AUTHORITIES arrested 13 individuals and seized some P12 million worth of high-tech betting and broadcasting equipment in a raid on an illegal offshore gaming operation in barangay Hinapolan, Iligan City.
The operation was conducted by a composite team of law enforcement agencies and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (Paocc) as part of the government’s ongoing, aggressive nationwide crackdown on online scams and illicit operations operating similarly to banned Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogo).
Paocc Executive Director Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. said the raid was executed after intelligence units confirmed reports of an active, unauthorized offshore gaming hub in the area. Armed with a search warrant, raiding teams swooped down on the premises, catching the operators in the act.
The Paocc revealed that the raided facility was far from a simple guerrilla setup. The raid yielded P12 million worth of sophisticated equipment, including commercial-grade computer processing units, monitors, professional cameras, recording devices, tablets, digital card scanners, specialized gaming tables, card decks, studio lighting gear, and other broadcast accessories used to livestream table games.
Those taken into custody include two operations managers and 11 dealers in livestreamed table games.
Acorda confirmed that all 13 suspects are currently in police custody. They face formal criminal charges, including violations of Republic Act 12312, also known as the Anti-Pogo Act of 2025, which strictly prohibits and penalizes illegal offshore gaming activities and associated scam networks within Philippine territory.