Authorities in the Philippines have detained four Korean nationals accused of operating an illegal gambling operation.
The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP ACG) confirmed that the four men, aged 29 to 38, were arrested following the execution of a search warrant at 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 from concerned citizens indicating foreign nationals were involved in illegal online gambling activities.
“This is a sort of mini-hub, so our operatives are still investigating it.”
The PNP claims the operation had been active for over five years, offering “numbers games” and sports betting through social media.
It is believed the group generated at least P10m (£126,000) monthly from players. All arrested members posted bail and are now awaiting court proceedings.
PNP taken to task by senators
Amid ongoing debate about the future of gambling in the Philippines, law enforcement agencies, including the PNP, were ordered to take a more proactive approach to combating the black market—including addressing the prevalence of e-sabong, also known as cockfighting.
Although Senator Erwin Tulfo acknowledged that some e-sabong sites had been taken down, he urged the PNP to raid locations where e-sabong occurs and confiscate equipment.
He said: “You’ve managed to shut 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 tighter sector regulations, including exploring a full ban on gambling advertising, after already imposing a TV and radio ad blackout during “primetime”—between 5:30pm and 8:30pm.
“Radio and TV stations are asking if they can still air ads during off-peak slots, mainly for advertising revenue. But for us, if a complete ban is possible, that’s what we aim to enforce,” Tengco told Senators.