Thirty -two Korean, Chinese, and Indonesian nationals working for an alleged illegal gambling company in Pasay City were arrested.
In a report by John Consulta on GMA News “Unang Balita” on Thursday, footage by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) shows the arrest of foreigners in the act while they were allegedly involved in online gambling.
The arrested foreigners were found to have no working visas and only tourist visas.
“Nakita po that there is illegal live studio gambling. Meron pong mga table talaga kung saan may gambling na nagaganap. Nagkaroon ng ilang araw na surveillance at noong na-determine na totoong merong mga illegal aliens na nagtatrabaho sa opisinang ito, nag-issue si Commissioner [Jaime] Morente ng isang mission order para ma-implement ang arrest sa mga illegal aliens,” said Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval.
(We saw that there is illegal live studio gambling. There are actually tables where gambling takes place. There were several days of surveillance and when it was determined that there were indeed illegal aliens working in this office, Commissioner [Jaime] Morente issued a mission order to implement the arrest of the illegal aliens.)
Authorities are already investigating when the arrested foreigners entered the Philippines.
32 foreigners without working visas arrested in illegal gambling company in Pasay
BI also found out in coordination with PAGCOR that the raided company was not registered with them.
Foreigners will be charged with violating the Philippine Immigration Act for violating their conditions of stay in the Philippines and working without a proper visa and permit, according to Sandoval.
The BI spokesperson added that foreigners are automatically blacklisted and will not be allowed to return to the country once deportation is carried out.
The foreigners currently detained at the BI detention center in Bicutan did not give a statement.
In January, intelligence agents of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested two Koreans for allegedly working without a visa.
BI Intelligence Division Chief Fortunato Manahan, Jr. identified the aliens as Kang Jiwon, 41, and Han Sungmin, 45. The duo was arrested by BI ID Regional Intelligence Unit 7 agents in a posh resort in Barangay Agus Road, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu province.