An unsettling trafficking method came to light following a recent interception at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 by the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
On August 17, BI officials apprehended a female trafficking victim attempting to board a Philippine Airlines flight to Thailand. The woman’s identity has been kept confidential following anti-trafficking regulations. The arrest was facilitated by the BI’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES).
Upon further inspection, discrepancies in the victim’s statements were noted. She later confessed that she had been trapped into working as a domestic service provider in Lebanon. Alarmingly, she also revealed that her traffickers had coerced her into pretending to be ill, using a wheelchair as a ruse to bypass stringent airport inspection measures. Additionally, she had been instructed to delete all communication with her recruiters from her mobile phone.
The victim further disclosed that if she faced complications with her Lebanon work visa, the traffickers had plans to redirect her to Hong Kong for alternative job prospects.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco warned the public about the sinister strategies employed by illegal recruiters and traffickers. “These malicious entities employ unthinkable measures to lure unsuspecting individuals into illegal migration, given the hefty profits they stand to make,” stated Commissioner Tansingco. He further stressed the transitory support of these criminals: “Once these victims encounter hardships, these traffickers disappear, leaving them isolated and in dire straits.”
Immediate measures have been taken to safeguard the victim and probe into her traffickers’ activities. The victim is now under the care of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance and a thorough investigation.