DAVAO CITY — Thirteen Sabah-bound passengers of M/V Ever Queen of Asia were rescued by the joint government agencies at Bongao Port, Tawi-tawi on Friday.
Police authorities found that the passengers of the vessel were bound for Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia without travel documents.
Police Brigadier General Prexy Tanggawohn, the Bangsamoro Regional Police Office reported that an informant tipped off that a group of individuals was traveling to Sabah, Malaysia via the backdoor channel on board M/V Ever Queen of Asia from Zamboanga City to Bongao at around 6:45 a.m.
The rescued individuals were brought to the office of the LGU Local Committee on Anti-Trafficking VAWC in coordination with the Ministry of Social Services and Development for counseling, stress debriefing, and assistance.
The successful rescue was a joint effort of the 1st SOU Maritime Group (lead unit), 1st Tawi Tawi PMFC, Sea Marshall Unit-SWM, Coast Guard Central Station Tawi-Tawi together with PCTC-WMPO, NICA BARMM in coordination with LGU-LCAT VAWC of Municipal Inter-Agency Committee Against Trafficking (MIACAT) Bongao.
The Tawi-tawi provincial police office and other government agencies are now facilitating their safe return to their families and places of origin.
