Philippine authorities raided two sites in the southern region of Mindanao on Friday and arrested 244 foreign nationals, mostly Chinese, in what the immigration bureau called the country's biggest bust of 2026 against illegal online gaming operators. Seized equipment included computers, phones and SIM cards; some detainees face human trafficking investigations, while the rest will be deported. Manila banned Philippine offshore gaming operators, known as POGOs, in 2024, saying criminal groups used them as cover for trafficking, fraud, money laundering and kidnapping.