BI intercepts another trafficking victim

Inquirer/Alexis Corpuz

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has intercepted at the airport another victim of human trafficking who was recruited through Facebook and was about to leave for Macau.

The 46-year-old victim, whose identity was withheld, was prevented from boarding her AirAsia flight to Macau on Oct. 27. The victim revealed that she was promised easy immigration and document assistance through Facebook, unaware that it involved affixing a fake departure stamp on her passport, the BI said in a statement on Saturday.

READ: BI stops trafficking victim from boarding flight to Thailand

The stamp used on her passport by her recruiters was also confirmed by the BI forensic unit to be counterfeit. After being recruited online, the victim also had to pay a P40,000 fee for supposed escort services, which also turned out to be a scam.

The woman was turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking to assist her. Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado warned aspiring overseas Filipino workers in a statement to be wary of online recruitments and “fraudulent immigration assistance promising quick solutions … It’s alarming to observe that this scheme remains widespread. While these offers might seem enticing, any assurance of success with minimal effort should raise immediate red flags,” he added. —Jacob Lazaro