Philippines arrests 1,240 for illegal work
More 1200 Chinese nationals suspected to be working illegally for an online gambling operator have been arrested at a resort and casino north of Manila.
Philippine Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the documents of the 1240 Chinese nationals arrested on Thursday were being checked based on reports they illegally entered and worked in the country.
The immigration bureau's initial report said the foreigners were working as call centre agents for what was suspected to be an illegal gambling operator at the Fontana Leisure Park in Clark Freeport, a former US-run air base north of Manila.
But a bureau spokeswoman said they were still awaiting the results of an investigation by the Justice Department's cybercrime unit to see if their employer was running an illegal online gambling site.
The arrested Chinese are temporarily being held under guard by immigration and police personnel at a building within the leisure park.
Originally published as Philippines arrests 1,240 for illegal work