The Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group (PNP-AVSEGROUP) at Davao International Airport (DIA) reported that they quickly acted with the assistance of airport authorities to stop a suspected case of human trafficking involving a Filipino passenger leaving for Hong Kong last Sunday (9 February).

Earlier on Sunday, an intelligence officer from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) referred an outbound passenger to the DIA Police Station (DIAPS) for further investigation. The said passenger is a 43-year-old female resident of Davao Oriental who was suspected to be a potential victim of illegal recruitment.

Upon receiving the report, DIAPS and BI immediately coordinated with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) XI and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Region 11, following standard procedures.

The passenger revealed during a secondary examination conducted by the Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section that she was traveling to Hong Kong en route to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), to work as a domestic helper. She claimed that the job opportunity was referred to her by her friend, who was based in Lebanon, and a certain “Mary Grace Solis” from the UAE, who facilitated her travel, with whom she only spoke via WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

Further inquiry indicated that the passenger’s Overseas Employment Contract belonged to someone else, raising concerns about potential human trafficking and unlawful recruiting. Despite her claims that she had not paid any money to facilitate her trip, the BI deferred her departure and confiscated her Philippine passport for validation by the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of Consular Affairs.

IACAT XI and DMW Region 11 are now handling the case, and authorities have directed the passenger to report to the DMW Regional Office 11 for further intervention and assessment.