THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported that its officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have rescued two more victims of illegal recruitment who were hired to work in Cambodia, possibly as workers for crypto scam syndicates operating there.
In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the two passengers were intercepted at the NAIA Terminal 3 last Sept. 27 before they could board a Cebu Pacific flight to Bangkok, Thailand.
Tansingco said that “were it not for the vigilance of BI officers at the airports, they would have been in Cambodia right now, working for employers who might harm and maltreat them as experienced by many of their countrymen who went there before them.”
The BI Chief was referring to the ordeal of several Filipinos who were rescued in Cambodia from the hands of crypto scammers who maltreated, hurt and subjected them to all sorts of mental and physical abuse while employed by the syndicates.
“Thanks to the vigilance of our officers, we were able to save these two Filipinos from harm’s way,” Tansingco said.
According to the Bureau’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES), the two passengers attempted to leave by posing as tourists who are traveling to Bangkok for vacation.
They claimed to be employed here but presented doubtful employment documents and failed to explain their travel itinerary in Thailand.
Eventually, they admitted during questioning that their final destination in Cambodia, and that they were just instructed by their handlers to wait for their employment documents while in Bangkok.
They were allegedly promised a monthly pay of Php 40,000 in return for their services as “encoders” in Cambodia.
