On August 31, 2024, operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI 7) recovered over 200 mobile phones, chargers, packages of SIM cards, keys, and three Indonesian passports after three safes seized by authorities during a raid on an alleged illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) premises in a hotel in Barangay Agus, Lapu-Lapu City were opened.
Armed with search warrants, agents from the NBI Central Visayas Regional Office (NBI-Cevro) opened the three vaults on Thursday, September 26, 2024.
The operatives used grinders, hammers and iron tools to pry open the sturdy safe.
Inside the first safe were eight locks, each with a number written on its side.
The second safe contained about 200 cell phones, mostly iPhones.
The third safe contained three Indonesian passports and various receipts.
NBI-7 director Lawyer Renan Oliva said the seized items will be further examined as they may provide evidence of pogo-related activities in Lapu-Lapu City.
“All the items recovered from the vault can be used in the ongoing case, which is the human trafficking charges against 17 people. Thirteen of the suspects are Chinese, two are Indonesian, one is a Burmese and one is a Filipino,” Oliva said on Thursday.
The cell phones seized from the safe were in addition to the computers seized during the search of the Lapu-Lapu Hotel.
NBI 7 plans to seek a court warrant for the disclosure of the computer data to further examine the evidence.
“We will be applying for an order from the court to require the disclosure of computer data that may be used in further charges, including money laundering, fraud, romance fraud and illegal gambling fraud. All information gained from this will be used in support of the current case pending before Branch 73,” Oliva added.
Apart from the seized evidence, the NBI7 continues to investigate locals, including officials, who may be involved in illegal activities in the city.
“The DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) and the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) are already coordinating with our office. They also want to inspect the contents of the safe in preparation for a possible case to be filed. The DILG is investigating whether there is any involvement of local government units, while the BIR is interested in the taxes that can be collected from these individuals,” Oliva said.
The NBI office is still examining the recovered documents, which may shed light on the people and actors behind the operations in the city.
It was also confirmed that those arrested will be transferred to Cebu for arraignment on October 3. (ANV, TPT)
