On Friday, authorities in the Philippines announced the arrest of a Chinese national that they suspect is the ringleader of a network of illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) involved in human trafficking, online scams, and other crimes.

The suspect, who has been identified as Lin Xunhan, 33, was caught in a Thursday evening raid in Biñan, a town in Laguna province on the island of Luzon, according to the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).
The raid was part of a broad government crackdown against illegal Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs), which have been connected to a range of criminal activities, including human trafficking, scam operations, and prostitution. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz, the commission’s executive director, described Lin as “the kingpin of the POGOs in our country,” claiming that he had been connected to alleged scamming operations in Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Cebu, and Metro Manila. In a report submitted to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday, PAOCC described Lin as “a figure of significant concern within the landscape of organized crime in the Philippines.”

“Since 2016, Dong has systematically built a network of scam farms, often employing legal businesses as fronts to obscure his illicit activities,” the PAOCC report stated, as per a Rappler report. “While some of these operations have been raided and shut down, many continue to thrive, complicating law enforcement efforts to dismantle his extensive criminal enterprise.”
According to Cruz, Lin’s name was wanted in connection with Lucky South 99, a POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga province, that was raided and shut down by the authorities in early June, on suspicion that it was involved in torture, human trafficking, and illegal scamming activities. Lin, who investigators also described as Lyu Dong or Boss Boga, was arrested along with 12 Chinese nationals and nine Filipino bodyguards.
The PAOCC believes that Lin is also connected to scamming operations in the town of Bamban, in Tarlac province, which have been linked to Alice Guo, the town’s former mayor.


