Immigration officers arrested an alleged human trafficker and rescued five human trafficking victims at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the recruiter and the victims were intercepted at NAIA Terminal 3 after attempting to depart as tourists bound for Malaysia and Singapore.
In a statement, the BO chief said they underwent secondary inspection and were interviewed by the immigration protection and border enforcement section (I-PROBES).
During the interview, it was confirmed that the five were recruited to work abroad as massage therapists, entertainers, tutors, and caregivers and were made to pose by their recruiter as her employees.
The BI’s I-PROBES immediately referred the case to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).
The recruiter previously made headlines on social media after posting last May 10 about her complaint on the arrival and departure procedures of the agency.
In her Facebook post, she lamented why she was being stopped from traveling despite having complete documents.
“These human traffickers use social media as their playground, where they blatantly recruit victims and even have the audacity to air complaints about procedures protecting Filipinos. We thank the IACAT for swiftly acting on this case and ensuring that justice is served,” Tansingco added.
