INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Over a thousand foreign nationals as well as Filipinos were rescued in an anti-trafficking operation in Mabalacat City, Pampanga, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Friday.
The joint police and Bureau of Immigration operation targeted on Thursday at around 7:45 p.m. a company at Clark Sun Valley Hub in Jose Abad Santos Avenue. The team rescued 1,090 individuals from the establishment.
Of the total number, 389 are from Vietnam; 307 from China; 171 from the Philippines; 143 from Indonesia; 40 from Nepal; 25 from Malaysia; seven from Myanmar; five from Thailand; two from Taiwan and a victim from Hong Kong.
“Based on the investigation, the rescued victims were forced into working for a fraudulent cyber-enabled industry, victimizing their fellow citizens,” the PNP said in a statement.
The rescued foreign nationals were accounted for and are facing possible deportation.
It is not yet clear if the operators of the company were arrested.
This is the first time a large-scale human trafficking of foreigners in the country was unveiled.
In April, senators learned that the Philippines was hosting “scam hubs” in condominiums where about 1,000 trafficked victims stay to engage in cryptocurrency frauds.
READ: PH hosts ‘scam hubs’ in condos for trafficking victims, senators learn
Meanwhile, the PNP also urges the public to report any suspicious activities related to human trafficking to the nearest police station or through the PNP Anti-Trafficking in Persons Hotline at 1343.