THE Philippine National Police, together with other government agencies, successfully rescued over a thousand foreign nationals and Filipinos from a human trafficking operation in Mabalacat City, Pampanga, on Thursday night.
The operation was carried out on May 4, 2023, 7:45 PM at Colorful and Leap Group Company located at Clark Sun Valley Hub, Jose Abad Santos Ave., Mabalacat City, Pampanga by the elements of the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG), Special Action Force (SAF), and Intelligence Group (IG) together with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, Department of Justice, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Bureau of Immigration, and Interagency Council on Anti-Trafficking, which resulted in the rescue of 1,090 individuals consisting of foreign nationals from Hong Kong (1), Indonesia (173), China (307), Vietnam (423), Nepal (40), Malaysia (27), Thailand (6), Taiwan (2), Myanmar (12), as well as Filipinos (172).
Based on the investigation, the rescued victims were forced into working for a fraudulent cyber-enabled industry, victimizing their fellow citizens.
Meanwhile, the PNP expresses its gratitude to all those involved in this successful operation and commends its unwavering commitment to protecting the rights and welfare of human trafficking victims.
“We will continue to work closely with other agencies to ensure that those who engage in such heinous crimes are held accountable. We must all unite in this fight against human trafficking and help put an end to this inhumane practice,” said Chief, PNP Police General Benjamin Acorda.
“The PNP remains steadfast in its commitment to eliminating human trafficking in the Philippines and pledges to transform the country into a secure place where Filipinos and foreign nationals alike can thrive, explore and conduct business without fear,”Acorda added.
The rescued foreign nationals were documented for booking and possible deportation.
The PNP also urges the public to report any suspicious activities related to human trafficking to the nearest police station or through the PNP Anti-Trafficking in Persons Hotline at 1343.
