By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
Four individuals allegedly involved in illegal recruitment and human trafficking were nabbed by officials from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), Philippine National Police—Maritime Group, Women and Children Protection Center (WCPC), and Palawan Provincial Police Office (PPPO) in an operation in Palawan.
The suspects, identified as Rajib Ibrahim Dedik, Romard Amalya Francisco, Ramel Aligno Acojedo, and Feraida Rosario, were found to be offering fake jobs disguised as Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) and “spammers” to Filipinos seeking to secure an occupation overseas.
Further investigation revealed that victims were promised work in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand with monthly salaries ranging from USD 800-1000, only for authorities to discover such a decoy for luring unsuspecting individuals into working in cryptocurrency scam hubs.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said of the arrest, “Hindi kami titigil sa paglaban sa mga illegal recruiters at human trafficking syndicates na nanlilinlang sa ating mga kababayang nais lamang magtrabaho abroad para sa magandang kinabukasan ng kanilang pamilya.”
He warned, “Patuloy tayo sa ating mga operasyon upang masupil, maaresto, at maipasara ang kanilang mga maling gawain.”
The operation also led to the rescue of 13 individuals, with the suspects facing charges related to syndicated and large-scale illegal recruitment, and promoting trafficking in persons.
Authorities are now conducting an investigation seeking to identify other people that may also be involved in the nefarious large-scale operation.
jpv
