Woman collared for ‘sex trafficking,’ 6 rescued

Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested a woman and rescued six suspected sex trafficking victims, three of them minors, in Batangas.

The woman who was identified only as Azis, was arrested during an entrapment operation conducted by NBI Batangas District Office (NBI-BatDO) last 18 February.

Charges were filed against Azis before the Batangas City Prosecutor’s Office with violations of Republic Act 9208, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, as amended after her arrest.

The NBI said the operation stemmed from an information that the subject was engaged in human trafficking of minors within the province of Batangas, particularly in Lipa City.

It said, “The Subject offers male and female victims including minors for sexual exploitation in exchange for a fee ranging from P2,000 to P8,000.”

The NBI-BatDO, acting on the information, managed to contact Azis and hatched an entrapment operation against her in coordination with Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, Batangas Office of the City Social Welfare and NBI Human Trafficking Division.