3 suspected victims of trafficking intercepted at

3 suspected victims of trafficking intercepted at | Daily Tribune

An immigration officer at Zamboanga International Seaport stopped three women who have been tagged as victims of human trafficking for attempting to leave the country for Malaysia by posing as tourists.

"We commend our personnel at the Zamboanga port for their vigilance that resulted in the interception of these trafficking victims who were put out of harm’s way," BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said.

"This incident should serve as a warning to the trafficking syndicates that our vigilance in combating trafficking is not only observed at the airports but in the seaports as well," the BI chief added.

According to the reports of the Immigration Border Protection and Enforcement Section, the women were intercepted on January 22 while trying to board the MV Antonia I bound for Sandakan, Malaysia. The passengers were subjected to a secondary inspection after the BI officers who processed them found inconsistencies in their documents.

The I-PROBES also reported that during the secondary interview, three passengers claimed that they were going to visit their relatives in Malaysia but gave conflicting and inconsistent answers to questions propounded to them.

"It was an obvious case of trafficking, as their documents were just handed to them before their trip," Tansingco said. "They admitted to barely knowing each other, as this is a common modus of traffickers to send out groups pretending to be friends, officemates, or even relatives," he added.

They were immediately turned over to the Zamboanga Sea-based Anti-Trafficking Task Force for further investigation and assistance.

Tansingco also stated that those traffickers may think that there is little regulation in their southern port, which is why they attempt to send their victims there, but with the presence of IACAT, it remains strong, ensuring that all victims are intercepted before they leave the country.

The BI Chief also warned the syndicates that IACAT's anti-trafficking campaign will also be seen in the country's southern ports.