BI nabs 4 trafficking victims who posed as tourists off to Thailand

Human trafficking image

MANILA, Philippines — Four trafficking victims were intercepted at Clark International Airport in Pampanga after attempting to fly to Thailand while posing as tourists.

Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported on Sunday that the victims—three females and one male—tried to board a Cebu Pacific flight to Bangkok, Thailand on February 17.

Two of the victims were cousins who were recruited to work in Koh Kong, Cambodia via Facebook.

The first two victims invited two others to join them at the worksite.

The four were instructed to pose as tourists going to Thailand to deceive immigration authorities, BI added.

BI stated the four then told authorities that they had been offered jobs as non-voice customer representatives.

They were supposedly promised a monthly salary of around US$800, along with free food and accommodation.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco observed the frequency of instances wherein trafficking victims willingly attempt to fool government officers.

“It’s getting repetitive. These individuals have good backgrounds, are tech savvy, yet they chose to be blinded by the offers of these syndicates,” Tansingco said.

“Aren’t they afraid? Leaving through illegal means is a huge risk, especially since we already know the fate of many victims,” he added in a mix of Filipino and English.

The four victims were brought to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking to assist them in filing cases against their recruiters.

Tansingco cited past cases of trafficking victims who were forced to work at scam hubs.

They were given low salaries and suffered from physical abuse.