The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has aborted the departure of two male passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on suspicion that they were victims of illegal recruitment or human trafficking.
The passengers, aged 48 and 52, bound for Hong Kong on a Cathay Pacific flight, initially claimed they were traveling as tourists.
Immigration officers flagged them however, for secondary inspection after noting inconsistencies in their statements.
The BI said it had received prior intelligence from the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) about individuals being recruited for illegal work in Russia. During questioning, the two men admitted they were recruited online and instructed to wait for their visas and transfer tickets in Hong Kong.
