3-11-2023 (MANILA) Philippine law enforcement has revealed the existence of a “torture chamber” concealed within a sex den that was disguised as an offshore gaming company. The Philippine Anti-Organised Crime Commission (PAOCC) released photos on Thursday (Nov 2) depicting an array of weapons and restraints, including handcuffs, truncheons, baseball bats, rattan sticks, tasers, a wooden club, and an airsoft gun. These tools were reportedly used to torture at least two foreign employees of Smart Web Technology.
The PAOCC’s executive director, Gilbert Cruz, explained during a news briefing that victims of this torture were often individuals who had failed to pay fees, especially those who had rented rooms for prostitution or hired women. Others subjected to this brutality had crossed the organization in some way.
A task force initiated by the Ministry of Justice conducted a raid on a six-story building leased by Smart Web in Metro Manila, detaining over 700 employees of the company, primarily consisting of Filipinos, Chinese, and Vietnamese. Justice Undersecretary Nicolas Felix Ty revealed that the primary crime found was sex trafficking.
Inside Smart Web’s premises, investigators discovered what Ty referred to as an “aquarium” – a viewing room where men could select women for sexual services. The facility also contained private karaoke rooms, referred to as “extra service” spaces, hinting at places where sexual services were provided. Ty noted that there was even a menu listing various sexual services available.
Apart from sex trafficking, Cruz alleged that Smart Web was also involved in love and cryptocurrency scams.
Law enforcement arrested nine of the company’s executives, and five of them, comprising four Chinese and a Filipino, faced inquest proceedings on charges of human trafficking and torture.
Police records indicated that one of the rescued Chinese victims claimed he had been “kidnapped” and “sold” for 500,000 pesos (S$12,000). Another Chinese victim stated that he had been compelled to work for more than 12 hours a day for over a year.
Smart Web, which had also operated under the names Freego Computer Gaming OPC and Xushen Technology, had obtained a license to operate as a “Philippine offshore gaming operator” (Pogo). Pogos had experienced significant growth during the previous administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, serving as platforms for Chinese gamblers to wager without violating Chinese anti-gambling laws, as gambling is banned in China.
Pogo operations were estimated to employ over 300,000 Chinese and Filipino workers and inject up to 190 billion pesos into the Philippine economy annually, according to real estate consultancy firm Leechiu. However, the Philippines had witnessed a surge in Pogo-related crimes in recent years, including kidnapping, human trafficking, prostitution, money laundering, and various scams related to love and cryptocurrency.
The scope of these illicit activities extended to Cambodia and Myanmar, linked to scams run by similar companies. In July, police rescued nearly 3,000 individuals from a compound operated by Xinchuang Network Technology, another licensed Pogo, where four Singaporeans were among the rescued.
In light of these issues, two senators have called upon President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to ban Pogos. Senator Risa Hontiveros expressed concern, stating that not only had Pogos transformed the country into a hub for criminal activities but also owed the government billions in unpaid taxes.
Authorites found a torture chamber on the ground floor of the internet gaming license, Smart Web Tech Corp. following its raid in Pasay City last Oct. 27. ????PAOCC @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/5YKrWaUJcK
— Joann Manabat (@joannmanabat12) November 2, 2023
