(UPDATED) More than 150 foreigners were rescued in a raid against an illegal Philippine offshore gaming operation (POGO) on Saturday at a resort in Lapu-Lapu City.

The POGO hub was disguised as a garden resort. It had a swimming pool, an own restaurant, a bar and a mini-store.

Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) spokesperson Winston Casio said the operation stemmed from a request from the Indonesian Embassy after three Indonesians escaped from the POGO hub.

Two of the victims filed a case against the resort operator and sought help to rescue their eight other compatriots.

To their surprise during the rescue operation, there were many of them.

“We were just here to rescue the indonesian nationals kaya lang in flagrante delicto, caught in the act, mayroong mga scam farm dito,” said Casio.

At least three scam farms run by Chinese, Indonesians and Myanmarese were discovered. They were involved in love scams and cryptocurrency scams inside multi-storey buildings situated in the resort. 

Computers and cellphones were found in the facility believed to be used in their illegal act.

 They found that most of them were held inside the facility against their will and were forced to commit scams. 

“Yes, this is one hundred per cent an illegal POGO. Illegal po ito dahil wala pong POGO na may lisensya dito sa Cebu Province, zero. Lahat ng nakita namin dito ay enough evidence to be able to file a cybercrime offense,” added Casio.

The PAOCC found five administrators of the POGO hub came from Pampanga who escaped after the commission conducted a raid there.

 Initially, they will charge the foreigners for violating immigration laws. Many of them did not also have their passports with them.

 The Department of Social Welfare and Development also joined in the operation to rescue 10 Filipina women who were allegedly "guests" in the resort.

 There was also one female minor who said that she offered dance lessons to those inside the resort.

 There were also local workers inside who are hired as cleaners, cooks, and other jobs.

 The National Bureau of Investigation Central Visayas will also file human trafficking charges versus the operators. 

“Their movements are restricted here,” said NBI 7 Regional Director Rennan Oliva. 

NBI 7 will also request for cyber warrants to be able to examine the content of the seized devices.

 “Any POGO related operation will always be looked into the possibility of investigating also some complicit public officials, whoever they may be but too early to tell,” Casio said.