POGO hub raid:
MANILA, Philippines — Two of the foreigners who were rescued from a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub in Las Piñas City suspected to be engaged in human trafficking activities are minors, the police anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) reported yesterday.
ACG director Brig. Gen. Sidney Hernia said the17-year-old foreigners are from Indonesia and Malaysia, based on their passports.
Hernia said the minors are undergoing comprehensive processing under the care of a social worker from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and being assisted by an interpreter.
“The identification of minors among the rescued victims serves as a stark reminder that the fight against human trafficking requires continuous vigilance and collaboration to protect the most vulnerable members of our society,” Hernia said in a statement.
The teenagers are among the 2,727 suspected victims of human trafficking who were discovered at the Xinchuang Network Technology Inc. in Barangay Almanza Uno.
The ACG insisted the raid at the POGO hub on June 26 was a rescue operation.
Of the number of rescued victims, 1,190 are foreigners while 1,534 are Filipinos.
Hernia said the remaining foreigners have been processed by the Bureau of Immigration for identification, verification and biometrics.