By Jun Ramirez
A Filipino-Taiwanese woman suspected of being a courier for a human trafficking syndicate was apprehended by Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers at the Clark International Airport (CIA) in Angeles City, Pampanga.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
BI port operations chief Grifton Medina said the passenger was intercepted last Monday as she was about to board a flight to Taipei.
Medina said the passenger, whose name was not divulged due to a prohibition in the anti-trafficking law, was stopped after airport security officers discovered that she had 22 Philippine passports in her possession.
“The passports were found inside her luggage and she admitted during questioning that these belong to people who were recruited by her bosses to work in Malta without appropriate permits and proper documents,” Medina said.
He added that the victims paid the syndicate P150,000 in return for processing their working visas in Malta which would be done in Taiwan.
BI-CIA head supervisor Joseph Quizon said the suspect identified two Maltese nationals as her contacts who would arrange the job placement of the victims.
Quizon said some of the recruits were demanding the return of their money as they had waited too long and given up on their overseas job prospects.
The suspect, who is a former Filipino from Pampanga, was turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for investigation and filing of charges.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente, meanwhile, reiterated his warning to would-be OFWs not to deal with illegal recruiters or they might end up losing their life’s savings.
“Deal only with licensed recruiters to ensure that your rights and welfare are guaranteed and protected,” the BI chief said.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
BI port operations chief Grifton Medina said the passenger was intercepted last Monday as she was about to board a flight to Taipei.
Medina said the passenger, whose name was not divulged due to a prohibition in the anti-trafficking law, was stopped after airport security officers discovered that she had 22 Philippine passports in her possession.
“The passports were found inside her luggage and she admitted during questioning that these belong to people who were recruited by her bosses to work in Malta without appropriate permits and proper documents,” Medina said.
He added that the victims paid the syndicate P150,000 in return for processing their working visas in Malta which would be done in Taiwan.
BI-CIA head supervisor Joseph Quizon said the suspect identified two Maltese nationals as her contacts who would arrange the job placement of the victims.
Quizon said some of the recruits were demanding the return of their money as they had waited too long and given up on their overseas job prospects.
The suspect, who is a former Filipino from Pampanga, was turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for investigation and filing of charges.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente, meanwhile, reiterated his warning to would-be OFWs not to deal with illegal recruiters or they might end up losing their life’s savings.
“Deal only with licensed recruiters to ensure that your rights and welfare are guaranteed and protected,” the BI chief said.