The Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported that Xu Shiyan, a Chinese national arrested last May 21, has possible links to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said the BI received information from Melody Penelope Gonzales, head of the BI’s Mindanao Intelligence Task Group (MITG), that Xu is an incorporator of the Philippine Sanjia-Steel Corporation (Phil-Sanjia).
Among the incorporators of the said company is Antonio Lim, which was said to be the alias of Tony Yang, who was previously investigated by legislative bodies for his involvement in POGO operations in the Philippines.
Found in Xu’s possession were numerous Philippine documents, including birth certificates, Philsys slips, SSS forms, UMID forms, Postal ID, TIN ID, driver’s license, and a COMELEC registration slip, all bearing Xu’s details.
It can be recalled that the BI previously arrested Tony Yang in 2024, after also allegedly misrepresenting himself as a Filipino.
Sandoval said Phil-Sanjia has faced scrutiny in 2024 after being identified in a congressional hearing to have alleged links with illegal POGO operations.
