The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said the government is set to investigate 400 scam hubs operating in the country.
According to PAOCC Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz, these are hubs that allegedly “do not pay for their license, do not agree to inspection, and lack the necessary documents.”
Cruz, quoted by reports, said: “What is surprising from the investigation we conducted is that these hubs are the cause of crimes such as kidnappings. That’s where it happens because they do not undergo inspections.”
Cruz was one of the officials attending an inter-agency meeting along with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and PAOCC.
The meeting reportedly discussed inter-agency cooperation for future operations.
According to Cruz, national agencies will now monitor the movement of local units and police.
“We will involve other agencies because they know where these hubs are located, what permits were issued, and what crimes were committed by their employees,” Cruz, quoted by GMA News, said.
Asked how much money is involved in these scams, Cruz said they have no estimate but it would be in the “billions”.
Meanwhile, Justice spokesperson Mico Clavano said that through the coordination of various government agencies, the government is able to gather enough intelligence and information to determine the movement of these hubs.
“The most challenging part is keeping up with the trend because there are many schemes now, different kinds of scams that we need to look into. And I think with the coordinated and concerted effort of PAOCC and the rest of the agencies, we are able to already keep up,” the official said
“And hopefully, in the near future, we’re able to stay one step ahead of everybody,” he added.
According to Clavano, the government is facing a “multi-billion dollar industry.”
