Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) intercepted on Tuesday five Filipinos believed to be human trafficking victims who attempted to leave the country in the guise of being government workers.
In a report to Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco, the BI’s immigration protection and border enforcement section (I-PROBES) said the passengers were stopped at the NAIA terminal 3 before they could board a Cebu Pacific flight to Bangkok, Thailand.
The passengers reportedly presented dubious travel authority from government agencies where they are purportedly employed.
They, however, admitted during questioning that they unemployed and that the travel authority certificates and other documents they presented are spurious and were only given to them by their handlers.
The BI said the name and identity of the alleged courier was already endorsed to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for investigation and filing of appropriate charges.
At least two of the passengers admitted they each gave their recruiter more than P30,000 to facilitate their travel abroad.
Investigation further revealed that the victims were promised high paying jobs as teachers in Thailand.
Tansingco again warned the public against persons that recruit Filipinos to work illegally abroad, as many victims end becoming slaves of crypto scam syndicates.
“Some of these victims have been rescued and repatriated to Manila and recounted stories about the bitter ordeal and even physical harm they suffered in the hands of their foreign employers,” Tansingco added.
