BI rescues 2 women from suspected trafficking schemes bound for Pakistan, Myanmar

In line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to strengthen border security and intensify the government’s campaign against human trafficking, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) intercepted two Filipino women at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in separate incidents on July 23 and 24 after they were found to be potential victims of illegal recruitment and human trafficking.

The victims, aged 39 and 25, were intercepted by immigration officers at NAIA Terminal 3 and were subsequently turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance and further investigation.

The 39-year-old passenger initially claimed she was traveling alone to Malaysia as a first-time tourist. However, during secondary inspection, she admitted that her actual destination was Pakistan, where she had been recruited to work as a cleaner. She also disclosed that she was receiving travel instructions from another individual, raising suspicions that she was being illegally recruited and that her travel was being facilitated to conceal her true purpose.

A day later, BI officers intercepted a 25-year-old passenger who claimed she was traveling to Thailand for tourism but later admitted that her intended destination was Myanmar, where she had been promised a monthly salary of USD 1,500 as an online gaming hub worker after applying through a Telegram group she discovered on social media.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado commended the vigilance of immigration officers, warning Filipinos against deceptive overseas job offers made through social media and messaging platforms.

“These cases show how traffickers continue to exploit vulnerable Filipinos by disguising illegal recruitment as legitimate overseas employment. Our officers remain alert to these schemes, and we urge the public never to accept job offers that bypass legal recruitment processes or promise immigration assistance. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is,” said Viado.

Both victims were turned over to the inter-agency council against trafficking (IACAT) for assistance and filing of cases against their recruiters.

The BI reminded the public to report cases of trafficking to the IACAT hotline 1343.