Manila, April 14 -- The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has deported 84 Chinese nationals, as part of the Philippine government's intensified efforts to dismantle illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) in the country.

Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado, in a news release Monday, said the foreigners were flown onboard a Philippine Airlines flight to Beijing on April 11.

The deportation was carried out in close coordination with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Chinese Embassy in Manila.

"This operation reflects our strong resolve to implement President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to shut down illegal POGOs and remove foreign nationals who ...