Lucky South 99 POGO Operator was President of Chinese guild in Lapu-Lapu City

September 24, 2024 Crime & Legal

Zhao Long, a prominent figure in Lapu-Lapu City’s Chinese community, has been identified as a leader of the illegal scamming network known as Lucky South 99. This revelation came during a Senate hearing on September 17, 2024, where Winston Casio, spokesperson for the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), confirmed Zhao’s involvement.

Zhao has been active in local tourism promotion through the Lapu-Lapu City Philippines Tourism Ethnic Chinese Guild, established in August 2019. This organization has been donating computers and paying taxes to the city government since its inception in 2019. Now authorities are alleging that its socio-civic services may have served as a front for its criminal activities.

Documents reviewed by Rappler show that Zhao is not only a founding member but also held significant leadership roles within the guild.

Authorities suspect that Zhao’s guild serves as a front for illegal activities, including scams and human trafficking. The PAOCC highlighted that many of these operations are conducted under the guise of legitimate businesses, making them difficult to detect.

“I would like to believe that they’ve gotten complacent because they feel that they can bribe anybody and just about anybody in the Philippines…Organized crime will never be able to thrive in the Philippines without public corruption,” Casio said.

The Tourist Garden Hotel, where Zhao’s guild is based, has also faced scrutiny. It was shut down on September 2, 2024, after numerous illegal activities were uncovered, including the operation of a KTV lounge linked to human trafficking. This establishment had previously been the site of a entrapment operation that led to the arrest of several individuals involved in trafficking.

Local officials, including Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan, expressed frustration over the situation, noting that despite regular inspections, illegal activities persisted. The mayor emphasized that the guild and its connected businesses had consistently paid taxes and engaged in community donations, which contributed to their perceived legitimacy.

The PAOCC continues to investigate these networks, aiming to dismantle their operations and identify key figures involved. On September 20, authorities arrested Tony Yang, a businessman with connections to organized crime, as part of a broader crackdown on illegal gambling and trafficking networks in the region.