The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime (PAOCC) touted the arrest of Chinese national Lin Xunhan, alias Lyu Dong, a suspected kingpin among illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), as a major blow against criminality.
PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said over the weekend that the suspect’s arrest in Biñan, Laguna on Friday can, in turn, lead to the capture of other influential figures in the network of illegal POGOs.
“He would most likely be able to point to some individuals, private individuals, or even former or current government officials who may have aided him in setting up these POGO operations not only in Lucky South, but also in parts of Cebu, parts of Visayas and even here in Southern Metro Manila. This guy is a big fish,” the PAOCC official noted.
“Since 2016, Dong has systematically built a network of scam farms, often employing legal businesses as fronts to obscure his illicit activities,” Casio added.
He pointed out that while some of these operations have been raided and shut down, many continue to thrive, complicating law enforcement efforts to dismantle his extensive criminal enterprise.
Lin or Lyu is also known by other aliases including; Bogo, Boga, Xiao Long, Apao, Pahao, and Hao Hao.
The suspect was also on the list of people sought when PAOCC raided the Lucky South 99 POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga, last June for alleged torture, human trafficking and online scams.
Casio added that “testimonial evidence” pointed to Lin as “one of the major financiers and one of the pioneers” in establishing POGOs in the country.
As this developed, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian disclosed that President Marcos may enact a law that will totally ban POGO activities in the country within the term of the 19th Congress or by June 2025.
