Philippines arrests 244 ‘mostly Chinese’ workers in online scam crackdown

Police authorities in the Philippines conducted their largest crackdown on illegal online gaming operators in 2026, detaining over 200 foreign workers, mostly from China, according to the immigration bureau. The operation targeted two addresses in Mindanao, with 110 Chinese nationals, two Cambodians, and a Hong Kong resident apprehended at the first location, and 131 foreigners, including Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian, and Myanmar citizens, arrested at the second site.

The government seized substantial quantities of computer equipment, mobile phones, laptops, and SIM cards during the raids. The investigation is focused on potential human trafficking-related offenses by some of the detained individuals, while the rest will be deported. Immigration chief Joel Viado emphasized that the Philippines will continue enforcing its immigration laws to prevent the country from being used as a base for illegal activities, specifically citing the raids as the "largest POGO bust of 2026."

The Chinese embassy spokesman, Ji Lingpeng, confirmed the arrests and noted that Chinese law prohibits any form of gambling, including Chinese nationals engaging in gambling overseas or working for gambling companies.