The Bureau of Immigration rescued five human trafficking victims at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport and intercepted a female courier from a syndicate believed responsible for recruiting and facilitating the departure of undocumented overseas workers in Cebu.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the five passengers were intercepted at the MCIA as they were about to board their flights for Hong Kong and Macau.
“The suspected syndicate courier was intercepted when three of the five victims were stopped from leaving for Hong Kong and pointed to the woman as the one who escorted them to the airport and briefed them prior to their flight,” Morente said.
BI MCIA Travel Control and Enforcement Unit head Ma. Asuncion Palma-Gil said the suspect was turned over to the National Bureau of Investigation and then filed a criminal complaint for human trafficking and illegal recruitment against her before the Cebu City prosecutor’s office.
Palma-Gil, however, declined to reveal the suspect’s name as well as those of the five victims because the anti-trafficking law forbids it.
Palma-Gil said the five passengers were intercepted nearly two weeks after 17 suspected trafficking victims were stopped from leaving the Mactan airport while attempting to leave for Hong Kong and Macau.
According to Palma-Gil, the five victims were bound for Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where they were hired to work as household service workers and waitresses.
“We suspect that all these victims were recruited by the same syndicate and that the female suspect we arrested is involved in the perpetration of this trafficking scheme,” Palma-Gil added.
The passengers disguised as tourists were supposed to be first flown to Hongkong and Macau where they would later board connecting flights to Dubai.
They allegedly admitted during investigation that they have UAE working visas in their possession which were processed and provided to them by their recruiters.