Elusive POGO kingpin falls in Laguna

By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan, Philippine News Agency

The suspect has a string of aliases, among them Boss Boga, Xiaolong, A Pao, and Hao Hao, which means boss of all bosses. (Pexels Photo)

MANILA – Philippine authorities nabbed a Chinese national tagged as the “godfather” of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), in Laguna province Thursday night.

In a television interview Friday, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission executive director, Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz, said the suspect, Lyu Dong, was arrested by joint PAOCC and Bureau of Immigration personnel inside a subdivision in Biñan City at about 8 p.m.

The suspect has a string of aliases, among them Boss Boga, Xiaolong, A Pao, and Hao Hao, which means boss of all bosses.

Cruz said the foreigner was placed under intense surveillance before he was apprehended in a gathering along with several Chinese companions – all said to be prominent POGO leaders – and bodyguards.

“Eto yung puwede nating sabihing kingpin ng mga POGO dito sa atin kasi 2016 pa dumating dito yan. Simula noon nagtayo na siya ng mga POGO diyan sa may Region 3, Region 1, sa Region 4 at dito sa Metro Manila. Marami siyang itinayong mga POGO at tinitingnan natin yung involvement niya (We can say that he is the kingpin of the POGOs here because he has been in the country since 2016. Since then, he built POGOs in Regions 3 [Central Luzon], 1 [Ilocos Region], 4 [Calabarzon] and Metro Manila. He has established many POGOs and we are looking into his involvement in these operations),” he said.

Cruz said the Chinese national’s name surfaced during the investigation into Lucky South 99, the POGO hub raided in Pampanga in June for alleged involvement in human trafficking and scams.

“We filed charges against Lyu Dong because when we applied for a search warrant, he was among those named in the Porac POGO, Lucky South 99. We have been hunting him for almost eight months,” he added.

Cruz said the elusive suspect is also operating a POGO in Biñan City.

“Kapag hinahanap nga namin ito, gumagamit din ito ng chopper. Nahihirapan kaming sundan itong si Lyu Dong (When we search for him, he uses a chopper. We found it difficult to trace Lyu Dong),” he added.

Cruz said also arrested during the operations were 13 foreign nationals and nine Filipinos believed to be linked to the Porac POGO.

He said Lyu Dong’s foreign companions would be asked to provide documentation.

They will be subjected to investigation by the BI if they fail to provide proof that they are legally staying in the Philippines.

Cruz said they are also checking the foreigner’s link to dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo.

Cruz said he already formally informed the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) of the arrest of Lyu Dong after an eight-month surveillance.

He said Lyu Dong’s passport shows he was born on July 4, 1991.

“At the relatively young age of 24, Xunhan made his way to the Philippines, where he quickly established a network of scam operations, commonly referred to as scam farms,” the PAOCC said in its report to the OES.

Cruz said these enterprises have proliferated across five regions of the country, “indicating not only a sophisticated operational strategy but also a marked ability to evade law enforcement.”

“Since 2016, Xunhan has systematically built a network of scam farms, often employing legal businesses as fronts to obscure his illicit activities. 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,” he added.

Cruz said Xunhan’s influence also extended throughout numerous districts in Metro Manila, with known locations in Pasay, Parañaque, Manila, Makati, and Mandaluyong.

“The sheer breadth of Xunhan’s operations illustrates not just individual criminal activities but rather a systemic issue that requires robust intervention,” the PAOCC said. (With a report from Benjamin Pulta/PNA)