MORE than 200 cellular phones, chargers, SIM card packaging, keys, and three Indonesian passports were recovered by the members of the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI 7) during the opening of three vaults, which were confiscated by the authorities during a raid of an alleged illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (Pogo) hub inside a hotel in Barangay Agus, Lapu-Lapu City, on August 31, 2024.
Armed with a search warrant, the operatives of the NBI-Central Visayas Regional Office (NBI-Cevro) opened the three vaults on Thursday, September 26, 2024.
The operatives used a grinder, hammer, and iron tools to force open the durable safes.
Inside the first vault were eight keys, each marked with numbers on their sides.
The second vault contained around 200 cellular phones, mostly iPhones.
The third vault held three Indonesian passports and various receipts.
According to NBI-7 Director Atty. Renan Oliva, further investigation will be conducted on the seized items, which could potentially serve as evidence of Pogo-related activities in Lapu-Lapu City.
"All the items recovered inside the vaults can be used in our ongoing case: the qualified human trafficking case against 17 individuals, 13 of whom are Chinese nationals, two Indonesians, one from Myanmar, and one Filipino," Oliva said on Thursday.
The cellular phones taken from the vault are in addition to the computers seized during the raid at the Lapu-Lapu hotel.
The NBI 7 plans to request a court warrant for the disclosure of the computer data to further examine the evidence.
"We will be applying for a court order for the disclosure of computer data that could be used for additional charges, such as money laundering, scams, love scams, and illegal gambling scams. Anything obtained from these will be used to support the current case pending before Branch 73," Oliva added.
Aside from the seized evidence, the NBI 7 continues to investigate local individuals, including officials, who may have connections to illegal activities in the city.
"The DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) and BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) have already coordinated with our office. They also want to inspect the vault contents for possible cases they might file. The DILG is looking into the local government's involvement, if any; the BIR is interested in collectible taxes from these individuals," Oliva stated.
The NBI office is still examining the documents recovered, which may reveal those behind or connected to the operations in the city.
It was also confirmed that the arrested individuals are scheduled to be brought to Cebu for their arraignment on October 3. (ANV, TPT)