The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) has taken action against an offshore gaming service provider in Las Piñas City suspected of involvement in criminal activities, the agency said in a statement yesterday.
In a show-cause order issued to Xinchuang Network Technology Inc., Pagcor has demanded a detailed explanation of the company’s defenses against the allegations and why its certificate of accreditation and authority to operate should not be canceled.
Alongside the order, Pagcor instructed Xinchuang to cease and desist from all offshore gaming activities pending the completion of the investigation being conducted by the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The office of the offshore gaming service provider was raided by elements of the PNP-Anti Cybercrime Group on June 26 after nearly a month of surveillance operations inside its facility.
“Information and pieces of evidence gathered by the authorities link Xinchuang to possible involvement in human trafficking and cryptocurrency and love scams, among other illegal activities,” Pagcor said.
During the raid, a total of 1,534 Filipino individuals and over 1,000 foreign nationals from various countries such as China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan and Singapore were rescued.
Pagcor said the foreign nationals were subsequently handed over to the custody of their respective embassies for further assistance.
The seized items during the raid, including computer units, SIM cards, cellular phones and passports, will undergo forensic investigation to aid in the ongoing probe.
Alejandro Tengco, chairman and chief executive officer of Pagcor, reiterated the agency’s strong stance against any form of illegal activity associated with offshore gaming.
“We condemn all criminal activities that violate Philippine laws and human rights — regardless of nationality. As we have always said before, Pagcor will not hesitate to impose sanctions on erring licensees and accredited service providers,” he said.
“Similarly, we will continue to cooperate with our partner law enforcement agencies to ensure that responsible and regulated gaming is observed,” he added. – Angela Celis
