NBI raids Pampanga online game-farm, arrests 2 Koreans

TARLAC CITY, Tarlac — National Bureau of Investigation-Special Action Unit (NBI-SAU) agents with NBI-Tarlac District Office agents overran an alleged illegal online game-farming operation in Angeles City, Pampanga and arrested two Korean nationals on May 15.

Several computer sets allegedly used in operating the online gaming scheme linked to Lineage Classic, a Korean multiplayer role-playing game with a virtual economy involving the in-game currency “Adena,” were seized, the NBI-SAU said.

A warrant to search, seize and examine computer data against the operation was secured before the raid.

The two Koreans, whose names have been withheld, are now facing violations of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act.

The Angeles, Pampanga raid followed a May 8 raid in Imus City, Cavite, where three Korean nationals were also arrested for allegedly running the same type of online game-farming activities.

NBI-SAU said the surveillance operations showed that foreign nationals were allegedly operating organized “farming” activities using multiple computer units and messaging applications to coordinate gaming-related tasks and transactions.

During the Cavite raid, Filipino workers told agents they worked up to 12 hours a day with only one rest day weekly while receiving salaries from Korean supervisors. The arrested suspects there were charged with violations of the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act and the Social Security Act. — Artemio A. Dumlao