Illegal recruiter nabbed, accused of taking P77,000 from 5 victims

A woman faces charges of illegal recruitment and estafa after she allegedly defrauded five people whom she recruited for nonexistent jobs in Taiwan of P77,000 in cash.

The Malabon police identified the suspect as 57-year-old Nicole Tsai, also known by her aliases Nicole Chua and Connie Chua, a resident of 499-C Mayon St. in Sta. Mesa Heights, Quezon City. She was arrested on June 19 in an entrapment operation.

According to a report prepared by case officer Police Officer 3 Rommel Habig, Tsai told her victims who were all residents of Malabon that she was recruiting workers for a Taiwanese restaurant.

She said that the establishment was looking for a waiter or dishwasher who would receive P30,000 monthly; a service crew member who would get P42,000 a month and an assistant cook who would be paid  P48,000 monthly.

The police report went on to say that Tsai met her victims in a house on Oro Street, Barangay (village) Tugatog, Malabon City, in May. They paid her fees ranging from P8,000 to P19,000 because she told them that they would have to pay a processing fee for their visa and plane fare.

On June 18, the suspect asked the victims to report to the Taipei cultural office in Makati for the processing of their visas. The victims showed up at the center on the agreed upon date but when the suspect failed to show up, they decided to go home.

Later that evening, Tsai called up one of the victims and asked for an additional P3,000 for the visa processing fee. She also instructed her contact to bring the money to her at the Barangay Acacia public market on June 19.

The person she called, however, became suspicious and went to the police which set up an entrapment operation that led to the suspect’s arrest. Nathaniel R. Melican