Manila, Philippines – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said they have arrested an airport employee at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 who was caught escorting two Filipino human trafficking victims attempting to depart for Dubai, UAE transiting through Thailand on December 22.
The passengers, BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said, initially posed as friends from General Santos City on vacation but were revealed to be human trafficking victims.
It was discovered during secondary inspection that the two did not know each other’s names. They also lacked return tickets to General Santos.
The victims then confessed to being recruited as household service workers in Dubai through Facebook, with no knowledge of their transit arrangements to the UAE.
Tansingco further disclosed that an airport employee was seen escorting the victims to the immigration counters.
“Immigration supervisors promptly intervened, signaling that such actions were unauthorized and against protocol,” he said.
He did not however identify the name of the airport employee.
The BI chief likewise emphasized that airport immigration areas are strictly off-limits to unauthorized personnel, especially those providing VIP treatment to trafficking victims.
The incident was promptly relayed to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for further investigation and filing of appropriate charges against the recruiters. (Marlon Luistro)
