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Travelers line up at airline counters to process their travel documents at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on June 9, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

BI says several Filipino victims smuggled to Pakistan for illicit gaming operations

Raine Musñgi

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has uncovered that several Filipinos are now being smuggled to Pakistan for illegal gaming operations, similar to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) scams in Southeast Asia.</p><p>&quot;This is the first confirmed case involving Pakistan,&quot; said BI Deputy Spokesperson Melvin Mabulac on Top Story on ANC on Tuesday. </p><p>“We have no record of other interceptions involving passengers going to Pakistan before this,” he said.</p><p>Mabulac revealed that the trafficked individual previously worked at a POGO hub in the Philippines and was recruited by the same Chinese employer, who has since relocated the operations to Pakistan. The victim was misled into thinking he was headed to Hong Kong as a tourist, only for authorities to uncover the real destination during immigration interviews.</p><p>According to BI, trafficking syndicates that previously operated in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand are now shifting their routes to Pakistan. Mabulac stressed: “We are looking into the possible new destination of those being victimized, now transferring to Pakistan”.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/06/17/23/ph-meets-us-standards-to-rid-human-trafficking-anew-bi">PH meets US standards to rid human trafficking anew: BI</a></div><p>The BI has confirmed the involvement of a known recruiter, a Chinese national who previously ran POGO operations in the Philippines and is now based in Pakistan.</p><p>The BI believes multiple exit strategies are being deployed simultaneously — from legitimate-looking flights masked as tourist trips to the use of Philippine backdoors in Mindanao.</p><p>“When we are very strict at the airport, usually they go to the backdoor in the south,” Mabulac explained, citing areas like Palawan, Zamboanga, and Tawi-Tawi as trafficking hotspots.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/9/at-least-9-000-chinese-pogo-workers-still-in-ph-paocc-1545">At least 9,000 Chinese POGO workers still in PH: PAOCC</a></div><div><strong>INTERCEPTION DATA AND TRENDS</strong></div><p>While no official numbers were shared in the interview, the BI acknowledged continued interceptions of Filipino trafficking victims en route to Myanmar and Cambodia, even amid recent crackdowns in those countries.</p><p>The government’s Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) has intensified surveillance at non-airport exit points, following reports that many repatriated victims never left through formal airport channels. </p><p>Mabulac also warned of a rise in counterfeit documents, a sign of traffickers adapting quickly to enforcement measures.</p><p>“Many are now using fake travel documents… fortunately, our immigration officers have been able to detect and intercept them,” he said.</p><div><strong>WHAT HAPPENS TO INTERCEPTED VICTIMS?</strong></div><p>Once intercepted, victims are turned over to the government’s anti-trafficking task force.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/13/more-than-11-000-foreign-pogo-workers-still-in-the-philippines-past-deadline-pagcor-1404">More than 11,000 foreign POGO workers still in the Philippines past deadline: Pagcor</a></div><p>“It’s a whole-of-government approach, involving DSWD and other agencies to assist rescued or intercepted victims,” Mabulac assured</p><p>He emphasized that while the number of victims using traditional Southeast Asian routes remains steady, Pakistan represents a new front in the fight against trafficking — one that authorities are racing to shut down.</p><div><em>Catch the full interview with Melvin Mabulac on Top Story, exclusively on the ANC Prestige and Youtube.</em></div>

<p>The Bureau of Immigration said several Filipinos are now being smuggled to Pakistan for illegal gambling operations, similar to POGO scams.</p>

The Bureau of Immigration said several Filipinos are now being smuggled to Pakistan for illegal gambling operations, similar to POGO scams.

Filipinos trafficked into Pakistan for illegal gambling operations: Immigration

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Filipinos trafficked into Pakistan for illegal gambling operations: Immigration

Raine Musñgi,

ABS-CBN News,

ABS-CBN News Channel

Published Jul 09, 2025 02:09 PM PHT

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Updated Jul 09, 2025 03:24 PM PHT

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