The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has recently intercepted six suspected victims of a cryptocurrency trafficking ring at the Clark International Airport (CRK) in the Philippines. The passengers were about to board a Jetstar flight to Phnom Penh on January 15th when they were accosted by BI officers and invited for questioning by personnel from the BI’s travel control and enforcement unit (TCEU).
According to Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco, the passengers gave inconsistent answers to questions during the interview, raising suspicions that they were not tourists but were instead disguising themselves as tourists in order to work abroad. Additionally, the passengers pretended to be acquainted with each other but could not explain how or when they came to know each other.
The TCEU acting head, Ann Camille Mina, reported that the passengers also presented fake return tickets for their supposed return date. Eventually, they admitted that they would be working in a call center in Cambodia and were recruited through Facebook.
The BI chief has vowed to go after BI employees involved in trafficking syndicates. The immigration officer who cleared the passengers for departure at the immigration counter is now being investigated and has been relieved of her post pending the results of the probe. The BI is investigating at least three persons of interest in the case, including two immigration officers assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, who are being investigated for their possible involvement in human trafficking syndicates in Cambodia and Myanmar.
“Apart from internal links, we want to also help locate and arrest those illegal recruiters that entice employees to take part in their illegal scheme, as well as exploit the vulnerability of our kababayan (countrymen) whom they recruit. They are the root of this societal problem and they must also be arrested for this crime,” Tansingco said.
As the investigation proceeds, the BI is also looking into the involvement of more personnel in the illegal activities, not just internally, but also externally. Senator Risa Hontiveros has also urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to expedite the repatriation of Filipino victims in Cambodia. She received reports that there are stranded Filipinos staying at a police headquarters in Cambodia, citing the statement of a victim named “Miles” who previously implicated CRK personnel.
