The Philippines has deported 89 foreign nationals this week for their involvement in illegal offshore gaming and cyber fraud, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said Friday.
From June 3 to 5, 77 Vietnamese and 12 South Korean nationals were sent back to their home countries following coordinated inter-agency operations targeting illegal offshore gaming activities and scam hubs across the country.
The operations were conducted in partnership with the Philippine National Police, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Immigration, the Department of Justice, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The mass deportation is part of a broader crackdown ordered by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who earlier directed authorities to expedite the removal of all foreign nationals involved in cyber fraud and unauthorized online gaming operations in the country.
Officials said around 140 individuals are set to be deported in early June, with further removals expected as processing continues.
“These deportations are part of a focused campaign to disrupt the criminal syndicates at the source,” said PAOCC Undersecretary Gilberto Cruz, who led a delegation to Vietnam to assist with the repatriation and held high-level talks with Vietnamese law enforcement officials.
“We are sending a clear message: the Philippines will no longer be allowed to be a sanctuary for foreign nationals exploiting the international digital and legal systems,” Cruz said.
In Hanoi, Cruz met with Colonel Le Khac Son, Deputy Director of Vietnam’s Criminal Police Department, to bolster regional cooperation against cybercrime and syndicated criminal networks.
“Deportation is only one layer of our operation,” Cruz said.
“We will be creating a near-regional cohort of intelligence, coordination, and legal associations to assure the syndicates do not move their operations from the Philippines to another jurisdiction,” he added.
PAOCC reaffirmed its commitment to national security and public welfare through strengthened local and international law enforcement cooperation.
Authorities said they will continue to identify, apprehend, and expel foreign nationals who violate Philippine laws.
