Police hunt casino junket operators

Police Crack Down on Casino Junket Operators Amidst Money Laundering Scandal

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has launched a crackdown on two prominent junket operators implicated in the laundering of ransom money paid for kidnapped businessman Anson Que, whose body was found last month. According to PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, investigators have traced the P200 million ransom to casino junket groups 9 Dynasty Group and White Horse Club, which allegedly served as financial conduits in a laundering operation that spanned e-wallets, shell accounts, and cryptocurrency platforms.

This is no longer just about ransom, said Marbil. This is about cleaning up a system that enables organized crime and threatens our national security.

The PNP's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), working closely with the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), uncovered a sophisticated network of money movement designed to obscure the funds' origins. The investigation revealed that the money was routed through the junket operators, then split into at least 10 e-wallet accounts under false identities already red-flagged in past espionage-linked probes.

The funds were then swiftly converted into cryptocurrency, making it difficult to track their movements. Once those funds entered crypto wallets, they practically vanished, said Marbil. While blockchain is transparent, the anonymity and speed of these transactions give criminals the upper hand.

Authorities have already frozen around P4.4 million ($79,000) in overseas accounts tied to the operation, but officials admit this is only a fraction of the full amount.

The ongoing investigation aims to uncover the broader financial architecture behind the operation, including possible links to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and cross-border crime syndicates. The case has also taken on political and national security dimensions following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s veto of a bill that would have granted citizenship to Chinese businessman Li Duan Wang, also known as Mark Ong — reportedly tied to 9 Dynasty.

In his veto message, Marcos cited alarming and revealing warnings from the intelligence community, a view reinforced by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who earlier flagged Wang's suspected ties to POGO-linked activities and fraudulent use of multiple taxpayer IDs.

The scandal has exposed gaping holes in the country's regulatory framework, particularly in the enforcement of know-your-customer (KYC) rules across digital financial platforms. AMLC officials say that some e-wallets used in the transaction had minimal verification requirements, allowing fictitious identities to operate freely.

This case is a wake-up call, said a senior AMLC investigator who requested anonymity. We're seeing how financial technology, if left unchecked, can be turned into a tool of national subversion.

The PNP is preparing to file multiple charges — including money laundering, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and violation of e-commerce laws — against executives of both junket operations. In parallel, regulators are reviewing the licenses of the companies involved, and more asset freezes are expected in the coming days.

We will not allow the Philippines to become a haven for financial crimes, said Marbil. This is the beginning of a full-scale effort to dismantle these networks.

The case has also highlighted the importance of financial transparency and regulation in preventing organized crime and national subversion, as well as the need for greater scrutiny of e-wallets and cryptocurrency transactions.

In summary

The PNP has launched a crackdown on two junket operators implicated in the laundering of ransom money paid for kidnapped businessman Anson Que.
The investigation revealed a sophisticated network of money movement designed to obscure the funds' origins, with possible links to POGOs and cross-border crime syndicates.
Authorities have frozen around P4.4 million ($79,000) in overseas accounts tied to the operation, but officials admit this is only a fraction of the full amount.
The case has taken on political and national security dimensions following President Marcos Jr.'s veto of a bill that would have granted citizenship to Chinese businessman Li Duan Wang.
* The scandal has exposed gaping holes in the country's regulatory framework, particularly in the enforcement of know-your-customer (KYC) rules across digital financial platforms.

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