The Bureau of Immigration (BI) yesterday reported the interception of four human trafficking victims at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) recently.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the victims, aged 28, 31, 35 and 43, claimed to be officemates on vacation to Hong Kong.

But their inconsistent statements led to a secondary inspection, revealing their false claims and documents provided by a travel agent, the BI chief said.

Viado noted that the victims paid P30,000 to their recruiter for forged documents.

Three of the four had previously worked illegally as entertainers abroad, with one admitting to using an illegal route via small boat to avoid immigration checks.

The victims were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for further investigation and legal assistance.

Viado emphasized that traffickers exploit tourists by supplying fraudulent documents or using illegal channels to deploy workers overseas.

In a separate operation on 23 January, six more trafficking victims were rescued in Palawan.

The victims were intercepted while attempting to leave Bancalaan Island in Balabac via small boat after traveling through Puerto Princesa and Bataraza.

The victims, recruited via Telegram, were promised jobs in Thailand and instructed to meet in Palawan for departure.

They were brought back to Puerto Princesa City by the National Bureau of Investigation for further investigation.