In a strategic operation executed late on Thursday, October 10, Philippine regulation enforcement captured Lyu Dong, a Chinese language nationwide deemed the “large boss” of unlawful Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). The arrest, performed in a subdivision in Biñan, Laguna, concerned mixed efforts from the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Fee (PAOCC), the Bureau of Immigration, and army personnel, highlighting the seriousness of the crackdown on unregulated offshore playing actions.
Lyu, additionally recognized colloquially as “Hao Hao” which means “boss of bosses,” has been a essential participant within the institution and unfold of POGO operations all through the Philippines. Since his arrival in 2016, Lyu orchestrated the growth of those illicit actions throughout Metro Manila, the Ilocos Area, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon, making a sprawling community that facilitated numerous felony undertakings, together with cash laundering and human trafficking.
Discoveries and implications of the arrest:
The operation not solely netted Lyu but in addition led to the invention of 9 firearms within the possession of his Filipino associates. The presence of those weapons raised instant issues concerning the character of their operations and the roles of those armed people. PAOCC Government Director Gilbert Cruz expressed shock and concern over these findings, signaling potential deeper investigations into the safety measures employed by these POGO operations. “We have been stunned to search out that his Filipino associates have been in possession of 9 firearms. We’re wanting into why that they had these weapons… Are they official bodyguards with authorization? We are going to examine that,” said Cruz throughout an interview with Radyo DZBB.
Because the Philippine Star experiences, the arrest additionally sheds mild on potential hyperlinks to different high-profile figures within the POGO trade, together with ousted Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, suspected of deep involvement in comparable unlawful actions. Speculations abound that Lyu Dong is perhaps the undisclosed mastermind Guo has kept away from figuring out in current Senate hearings.
Legislative response to POGO operations:
Following the arrest, Philippine lawmakers acted swiftly, proposing rigorous new legal guidelines to utterly overhaul the regulation of offshore gaming operations throughout the nation. On Friday, October 11, Home representatives launched the Anti-Offshore Gaming Operations Act, designed to handle not solely the felony actions related to POGOs but in addition broader problems with human rights abuses linked with extrajudicial actions by state authorities.
The Anti-Offshore Gaming Operations Act targets the full prohibition of offshore gaming, addressing not solely the gaming operations themselves but in addition the supporting industries and providers that facilitate these hubs. Proposed penalties for violations are extreme, starting from jail phrases to substantial fines, reflecting the lawmakers’ willpower to eradicate this supply of criminality and restore public security.
