Baccarat Boys: BI Arrests Chinese Fugitive Heading Online Gambling Sites

PARAÑAQUE, Philippines — Agents of the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) arrested a Chinese man wanted in his home country for running online gambling websites.

The arrest is in line with the policy of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to ban all online gaming activities in the country.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado shared that FSU agents arrested Wu Huifu, 38 and Li Yong, 48 in Barangay Tambo, Parañaque City.

The agency received official information from the Chinese government that Wu is wanted by authorities. He is reportedly the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the Binzhou Public Security Bureau on January 2025 for illegally running casinos.

Wu and his accomplices allegedly established multiple overseas online gambling platforms and enticed Chinese nationals through online advertising. They illicitly profited by implementing excessive withdrawal requirements and manipulating gambling conditions to extend playtime and increase wagering frequency, ultimately causing participants to exhaust their funds.

Their operation involved victimizing around 500,000 players and exceeded CNY 8.6 million in proceeds.

Li, on the other hand, is said to be an assistant of Wu and also faces an arrest warrant from Chinese authorities.

Wu previously worked in a POGO company in the Philippines, but failed to leave upon the banning of the industry last year, prompting Philippine immigration to include him in its derogatory database.

Viado said the arrest shows the strong cooperation between the BI and its counterparts in ensuring the removal of remnant POGO operations in the country.

“We will not allow POGO operations to take root in our country again. If you are involved in illegal gaming, we will find you, arrest you, and remove you from the Philippines,” he warned.