The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Monday announced the rescue of three Filipino nationals who were forced to work as scammers while being subjected to abuse in Cambodia.
Last week, the NBI received a video message of the victims asking for the assistance of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and NBI Director Jaime Santiago.
In a press briefing, Santiago stressed the crucial role of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) in the successful rescue operations and in combating transnational crimes.
The victims narrated how they saw a post online offering work as customer service representatives and were contacted by a Filipino HR working inside a casino company. In Tawi-Tawi, they then boarded small boats before being transferred to a fishing boat bound for Sabah, Malaysia, until they reached Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
They were given cellphones where they downloaded social media applications like Signal, Twitter, and Instagram and were ordered by a Filipino supervisor of the company to scam old-aged foreigners through cryptocurrency.
Later, they were brought out of the compound where they were beaten by Chinese individuals.
The rescued Filipinos have since been provided with medical assistance and proper counselling upon arriving in the Philippines.