Police arrested 63 Chinese and 13 Filipinos allegedly working for a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) workers in a raid at Makati City Tuesday afternoon.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said cops conducted an operation against an illegal POGO office at Barangay Olympia around 11:30 am.

According to initial police report, information from a confidential informant who arrived at Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG) office to report an alleged on-line gambling activity operated by a Chinese identified as Xiao Bao.

“Consequently, a case validation and surveillance operation was conducted to verify the veracity of the report,” NCRPO said.

According to the Business Permit Office of Makati City, the business was not registered.

Its operation violates the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. ( Pagcor) order suspending all POGO and its service providers for the duration of the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.

“After establishing reasonable grounds to believe that there is indeed a violation of law, an operation was plotted against Xiao Bao and his employees for violation of Republic Act 11332,” it added.

The employees were arrested but Xiao Bao remains at-large.

NCRPO said the arrested suspects were brought to Camp Bicutan, Taguig City for safekeeping while the Makati City Police is preparing a case against them in court.

"We would like to reiterate our plea for cooperation from all the people in Metro, including our foreign friends who are staying here to please observe due compliance to all existing laws, especially the further extended ECQ protocols to alleviate the difficulties brought by this pandemic not just to our frontliners but to each of us alike,” NCRPO chief Police Major General Debold Sinas said. Ella Dionisio/DMS