4 suspected illegal recruiters who duped 50 job seekers arrested

Police have arrested four suspected illegal recruiters who allegedly duped more than 50 job seekers, collecting from them an estimated P1 million.

On Tuesday, Psupt. Roque Merdegia Jr. of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Anti-Transnational Crimes Unit said they nabbed Marivel Dumayas Equio, Cristina Limun, Nathaniel Camacho and Editha Rico in three separate entrapment operations in Quezon City, Parañaque City and Manila.

The operations were conducted from Monday to Tuesday after seven initial complainants claimed to have been victimized by the said group. Further investigations revealed that the group victimized more than 50 job seekers.

Limun and Camacho were first nabbed in Parañaque. The two consequently volunteered to bring the marked money to another alleged recruiter Rico, who then brought authorities to alleged mastermind Equio.

Merdegia lamented the “vicious cycle” of deception done by Equio, who had already been arrested for illegal recruitment in July 2017.

Equio was able to get away with the crime at that time after the complainant agreed to be paid, Merdegia said.

According to two victims Gemma Pescuela and Romeo Pescuela, the suspects demanded recruitment and medical fees, from them and other applicants, that ranged from P7,000 to P60,000 for supposed farm, factory and hotel jobs in New Zealand.

Upon verification from the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) the victims said they learned that the agency named IJO Solutions NZ Ltd. was not an accredited job recruitment firm or affiliated with any authorized agencies.

But Limon, Camacho and Rico were pointing at Equio as the mastermind. The three claimed that they were only acting as agents for Equio, who received all the payments.

Police said the contracts presented to the job seekers, as well as the address of the agency in Ayala, were fake.

Merdegia said the suspects are facing illegal recruitment and estafa charges. /je