The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has dismantled a covert mini-POGO operation run by seven South Koreans inside a residential condominium in Pampanga.
BI-Fugitive Search Unit Chief Rendel Ryan Sy said the suspects were caught in a luxury condominium at Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles City, in coordination with South Korean authorities, the Philippine Air Force, and the Clark Development Corporation.
Sy said the team was initially tracking a Korean fugitive reportedly operating in the area. While the fugitive was not found, seven male Koreans were caught manning workstations linked to online gambling.
The suspects were allegedly engaged in small-scale illegal betting operations connected to global sporting events. One of them, identified as 23-year-old Ha Dong Jun, has been wanted by the BI since January 2025 for overstaying after the shutdown of POGO operations.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the agency will continue intensified operations against POGO and POGO-like activities involving foreign nationals. The seven suspects were transferred to the BI detention facility in Taguig pending deportation proceedings.
