Four Filipina women who were being trafficked to work in China as waitresses were successfully stopped by Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers on Sunday, 21 April.

According to the BI-NAIA, the women, whose identities were being withheld in compliance with anti-trafficking laws, were intercepted at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 after posing as travelers bound for Hong Kong. 

As per the victims' statement, they were lured into the scheme by a Taiwanese woman whom they met on WeChat.

This person assured them of lucrative jobs as waitresses in China.

Investigations showed that the victims had been told to pretend to be tourists and once they arrive in Hong Kong, they would get their visas for China and work there illegally.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco stated that these women were deceived into agreeing to the scheme to work abroad.

But in reality, they were being trafficked for exploitation and illegal employment.

"Human trafficking is a heinous crime that preys on the most vulnerable members of society. We will continue to work tirelessly to thwart these criminal activities and bring the perpetrators to justice," the BI chief added. 

All the victims were turned over to the inter-agency council against trafficking for assistance, while the name of the alleged Taiwanese recruiter has been recommended for blacklisting.