DAVAO CITY — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) successfully intercepted four passengers bound for Cambodia at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Tuesday.
In a statement released on Saturday, the Immigration stated that the possible victims involve three females and one male, with ages ranging from 20s to 30s.
During the interview that Immigration officer sensed that the passengers were bound to Cambodia were found to have been victimized by an elaborate illegal recruitment scheme.
The bureau stated that they were tipped off about the travel of the four individuals who were recuirted online.
According to the email, they had been deceived and recruited under false pretenses to work in Cambodia’s online casino industry.
The passengers initially claimed to be employed in the country, and are traveling abroad for tourism. However, during the investigation, they confessed that they had been unlawfully recruited as telemarketers for an online gaming company, enticed with a promised monthly salary of 800 USD.
The BI withheld the identities of the four victims in compliance with anti-trafficking laws. They were immediately turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance in filing legal cases against the recruiters.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco expressed deep concern and issued a stern warning to professionals, urging them to exercise caution and vigilance against falling prey to deceptive recruitment schemes.
He emphasized, “Beware of schemes that promise legitimate call center jobs but ultimately lead individuals into engaging in criminal activities abroad. It is crucial to verify the authenticity of job offers and protect one’s own interests. We are committed to safeguarding the rights and welfare of our fellow citizens.”
Tansingco then reminded aspiring overseas workers to only seek employment abroad through the Department of Migrant Workers, to ensure their protection from traffickers.
