Philippines authorities intercept illegal recruitment and trafficking attempts

Philippine authorities have intercepted two separate instances of suspected illegal recruitment and human trafficking.

In a joint operation by the National Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Migrant Workers, 23 women were rescued from an unregistered housing facility. The women were promised domestic work in Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia with monthly salaries of up to US$1,500. One complainant reported being demanded P8,000 to leave the facility. Two individuals, Janelle D. Buscay and Lorezo Abigael Bohol, were taken into custody and face allegations of illegal recruitment and human trafficking.

Separately, immigration officers at Mactan-Cebu International Airport intercepted a 50-year-old Filipino man attempting to board a flight to Vietnam. The traveler admitted his true destination was Russia, where he had been recruited via WhatsApp for a K9 handler position paying US$3,500 a month. He had been instructed to pose as a tourist to evade immigration checks. The individual was turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for assessment.