An overseas Filipino worker who was a victim of a trafficking syndicate and was forced to work as a scammer for a Chinese company in Myanmar has finally returned to the Philippines after paying his employer P200,000 in exchange for his freedom.
The Bureau of Immigration said the victim left the country to work in Thailand.
But after arriving in Thailand, the OFW, identified only as Gio, was transferred to Myawaddy in Myanmar.
Gio was forced to work as an online love scammer, attracting foreign victims to invest in pseudo cryptocurrency accounts.
He was only able to return home after pooling P200,000 from family and friends to pay his company for his release, the BI said.
Meanwhile, an illegally recruited OFW who was attempting to depart for Hong Kong on board an Eva Air flight was intercepted by immigration officers at the Clark International Airport (CIA) Terminal 2 in Pampanga.
During primary inspection, the immigration officer noted several inconsistencies in the OFW’s answers, prompting him to refer the victim for secondary inspection.
The victim claimed she was merely traveling to Hong Kong for a four-day vacation, but was unable to provide basic details of the said trip.
She eventually admitted that she was promised work as a promotion specialist, but has yet to receive her contract.
As this developed, the Bureau of Immigration deported 75 foreigners, mostly Chinese nationals, for their alleged involvement in scamming activities in the guise of an online gaming customer relations service provider.
The deportation was part of the government’s crackdown against foreigners working in online gaming establishments not registered or licensed by the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the 75 foreign nationals left the country on board a chartered Royal Air flight to Nanning, Guangxi, China.