Philippine authorities have rescued 158 foreign nationals and 29 Filipinos from the Lucky South 99 Outsourcing Incorporated compound in Porac, Pampanga since the night of Tuesday, June 4, 2024, according to the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC)1. The 10-hectare property is known as Thai Court in Sitio Pulung Maba, Barangay Sta. Cruz1. Search operations resumed on Monday, June 10, and will continue until all buildings have been combed through1.
During the June 10 search, authorities found at least six sets of uniforms bearing symbols and distinguishing marks of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the Chinese People's Armed Police Force (CAPF), along with two combat boots1. PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said this was the first time such uniforms had been found, and that they would need to be validated with Chinese authorities1. Other items seized included handcuffs, pellet guns, baseball bats, electric rods, identification cards, suspected methamphetamine or shabu, cash, jewelries and Rolex watches, vaults, and scam paraphernalia including smartphones and SIM cards1. Casio said the vaults will be labeled as evidence while a separate warrant for opening them is pending1.
"It would mean you have Chinese military veterans, PLA veterans inside Lucky South 99. That's the most benign explanation. But the most extreme explanation there could be that there are indeed military personnel conducting whatever third-party activities inside Lucky South 99."
Casio described Lucky South 99 as "so far the worst and most prolific among online gaming operators in terms of kidnapping, harassment, torture, and other crimes"1. The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), in a letter dated May 22, denied Lucky South 99's application for an Internet Gaming License, citing negative reports linking the establishment to alleged illegal activities in 2022 and its association with Zun Yuan1. The letter was issued to authorized representative Katherine Cassandra L. Ong1. In September 2022, Lucky South 99 was ordered shut down following a raid led by Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos in which more than 40 Chinese were reportedly kidnapped1.
Porac Mayor Jaime Capil said Lucky South 99 did not receive a mayor's permit renewal from his office in 2024, and that it is on the Bureau of Fire Protection's "negative list" for failing to comply with mandatory requirements1. Despite this, 40 buildings in the complex were issued building permits1. A letter of no objection was issued by the Sangguniang Bayan of Porac to Lucky South 99 through its representative Ong on November 5, 20191.
PAGCOR has identified alien crime syndicates, not licensed POGOs, as a significant national security threat1. PAGCOR chair and CEO Alejandro Tengco said alien hacking and scam syndicates pose a real threat, pointing to reports of human trafficking, torture, and illegal detention at raided Internet Gaming Licensees including Smart Web Technology Corporation in Pasay City and Zun Yuan Technology Incorporated in Bamban, Tarlac1.
What it means for players
The raid concerns an unlicensed operation. PAGCOR said it denied Lucky South 99 an Internet Gaming License and that the company lacked a 2024 mayor's permit renewal1. Players using licensed Philippine operators are not directly affected by the enforcement action at this compound, but the case illustrates the risks attached to venues operating outside the licensing system. The items reported seized, including handcuffs, electric rods and suspected drugs, relate to allegations against the operators of that site, not to licensed gaming floors1. The status of any funds or accounts connected to the compound has not been reported.
What happens next
The search operation will continue until all buildings have been combed through1. The suspected uniforms will be validated with Chinese authorities, according to Casio1. A separate warrant for opening the vaults found at the site is pending1. Rappler said it reached out to Mayor Capil for clarification of his statement and would update its story on receiving a response1.
