菲律宾当局在今年最大规模的打击非法离岸博彩运营商行动中，逮捕了200多名外籍工人，其中大多数为中国公民。
Philippine authorities have arrested more than 200 foreign workers, mostly Chinese, in their biggest crackdown this year on illegal offshore gaming operators.
该国移民局周六晚间通报称，军方及其他执法机构于周五突袭了菲律宾南部棉兰老岛的两处地点。犯罪团伙被指利用菲律宾离岸博彩运营商（POGO）作为掩护，从事各类犯罪活动。
The country’s Immigration Bureau reported late on Saturday that military and other law enforcement agencies had raided two addresses on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Friday. Criminal gangs are accused of using Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) as cover for various crimes.
据该局声明，突袭其中一处地点后，当局逮捕了110名中国公民、两名柬埔寨公民和一名香港居民。
The raid on one site resulted in the arrest of 110 Chinese citizens, two Cambodians and a Hong Kong resident, according to the bureau’s statement.
在第二处地点，当局又逮捕了131名外籍人员。声明称，其中大多数为中国公民，其余为马来西亚、印度尼西亚和缅甸公民。当局缴获了大量电脑设备、手机、笔记本电脑和SIM卡。
A further 131 foreign citizens were arrested at the second site. Again, the majority were Chinese, alongside citizens of Malaysia, Indonesia and Myanmar, according to the statement. Authorities seized large quantities of computer equipment, mobile phones, laptops and SIM cards.
马尼拉于2024年禁止POGO运营，理由是犯罪集团利用其作为掩护，从事人口贩运、洗钱、绑架、诈骗和谋杀等活动。
Manila banned POGOs in 2024 on the grounds that crime groups use them as a cover for human trafficking money laundering, kidnappings, fraud and murder.
联合国2023年的一份报告指出，近年来，成千上万的人被犯罪团伙贩运至东南亚各地的诈骗中心和其他非法网络业务中被迫劳动。
A 2023 United Nations report noted that in recent years hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked by gangs and forced to work in scam centres and other illegal online operations across Southeast Asia.
该报告估计，缅甸至少有12万人、柬埔寨约有10万人可能被困在诈骗业务中，而在老挝、菲律宾和泰国等国的其他犯罪集团企业则涉及从加密货币诈骗到网络赌博等各类业务。
The UN report estimated that at least 120,000 people across Myanmar and approximately 100,000 in Cambodia may be trapped in scam operations, with other criminal-owned enterprises in Laos, the Philippines and Thailand ranging from crypto-fraud to online gambling.
菲律宾政府正在调查此次突袭行动中被捕的部分人员涉嫌人口贩运相关罪行，其余被捕者将被遣返。
The Philippine government is investigating potential human trafficking-related offences by several of those arrested in the latest raids, while the rest will be deported.
近年来，国际社会对其他亚洲国家类似的诈骗业务日益关注，在这些业务中，人口贩运受害者被诱骗或胁迫，宣传虚假的加密货币投资项目和其他骗局。
International concern has grown in recent years over similar scam operations in other Asian nations, where trafficking victims are tricked or coerced into promoting bogus cryptocurrency investments and other cons.
“我们将继续执行移民法，打击违反居留条件的外国人，并确保菲律宾不被用作非法活动的基地，”移民局局长乔尔·维亚多在声明中说。
“We will continue to enforce our immigration laws against foreign nationals who violate the conditions of their stay and ensure that the Philippines is not used as a base for illegal activities,” immigration chief Joel Viado said in the statement.
中国大使馆发言人吉凌鹏告诉法新社，他们正在“就此案细节与菲律宾执法机构取得联系”。
Chinese embassy spokesperson Ji Lingpeng told the AFP news agency that they are “reaching out to the Philippine law enforcement agencies on the details of this case”.
他补充道：“中国法律禁止任何形式的赌博，包括中国公民在海外赌博或为博彩公司工作。”
“Chinese law prohibits any form of gambling including Chinese nationals gambling overseas or working for gambling companies,” he added.