According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), in the early hours of June 27, police raided the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) company buildings in Las Piñas City, Metro Manila. This is where victims of human trafficking were allegedly paid to find players for online games. Among the victims were nearly 1,200 foreigners, from many Asian countries.

Police raided a house in Barangay Almanza Uno, Las Piñas at midnight on June 27.

Michelle Sabino, a spokeswoman for the Philippine National Police's cybercrime unit, described it as the "largest human trafficking operation ever." The victims took jobs advertised on Facebook as "online gaming assistants." Many were forced to work 12-hour shifts for as little as 24,000 pesos ($433) a month and were barred from leaving their homes. She said the agency would investigate any information, including the possibility that the group was involved in online scams. Authorities said the victims were recruited through online postings.

The situation of online fraud in the Asia- Pacific region has become increasingly worrying in recent times. In particular, employees working for fraudulent websites are victims of human trafficking who are lured into advertising jobs for illegal cryptocurrency investment activities. In May 2023, Philippine authorities rescued 1,090 people from many Asian countries who were tricked into being sold to this country and forced to participate in online fraud activities.

VNA