Police in the Philippines have arrested four Korean nationals accused of running an illegal gambling operation.
The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP ACG) confirmed that the four men, aged between 29 and 38, were arrested after executing a warrant to search a property in Cebu City.
Director General Wilson Asueta told local reporters: “Our field units in Cebu conducted surveillance and cyber-patrolling based on information relayed by concerned citizens that there are foreigners involved in illegal online gambling activities.
“This is somewhat of a mini-hub, so our operatives are still investigating it.”
The PNP claims that the operation had been up and running for over five years, and was offering ‘numbers games’ and sports betting through social media.
It is believed that the group was generating at least P10m (£126,000) from players monthly. All the arrested members posted bail and are now awaiting court proceedings.
PNP taken to task by senators
Amid the ongoing debate surrounding the future of gambling in the Philippines, law enforcement agencies, including the PNP, were ordered to take a more proactive approach to fighting the black market – including the prevalence of e-sabong, also known as cockfighting.
Although Senator Erwin Tulfo acknowledged that some sites had been taken down, he urged the PNP to raid locations where e-sabong is taking place and confiscate equipment.
He said: “You’ve managed to take down some e-sabong sites, but those were small-time operators. You still can’t take down the biggest one in the entire Philippines.”
As part of the discussions, Alejandro Tengco, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of PAGCOR, unveiled plans for greater regulations on the sector, including the exploration of a complete ban on gambling advertising, after already implementing a TV and radio ad blackout during ‘primetime’ – between 5.30pm and 8.30pm.
“Radio and TV stations are asking if they can still show the ads during dead slots, mainly for advertising revenue. But for us, if it’s possible to completely ban them, that’s what we want to enforce,” Tengco told Senators.
