Government authorities rescued 27 victims of human trafficking—allegedly recruited to work in scam hubs in Cambodia—and arrested three travel facilitators during a recent operation Tawi-Tawi, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) announced Wednesday, Sept. 10.
The suspects, identified as Sanilyn Hashim, Nursida Asanuddin, and Halon Mozamil, have been charged with violating the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 and the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995.
The three suspects were arrested during operations conducted last Sept. 5 and 6 by joint teams from the NBI, Philippine National Police (PNP), Ninoy Aquino International Task Force Against Trafficking (NAIATFAT), Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Zamboanga Sea-Based Anti-Trafficking Task Force (ZSBATTF).
They were nabbed upon their arrival at the Sanga-Sanga Airport in Tawi-Tawi.
The NBI said the operation was conducted based on “a complaint filed by one of the human trafficking victims (HTVs), who alleged that a specific group of individuals was involved in human trafficking by recruiting and transporting victims to work abroad illegally.”
The complainant informed the NBI that he was traveling with other recruits to work in suspected scam hubs in Cambodia.
“Investigation conducted by the NBI-HTRAD (Human Trafficking Division) revealed that the recruitment process was done through online messaging platforms, and victims were forced or coerced into crossing international borders using backchannels,” the NBI also said.
The complainant also disclosed that he was recruited via Telegram by the group to work in a POGO hub in Cambodia.
Instead of taking a direct route to Cambodia, the HTVs were instructed to travel through Manila, Zamboanga, Tawi-Tawi, Malaysia, and finally Cambodia, the NBI said. (Jeffrey Damicog)
