BI alarmed over Laos trafficking ruse

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) warned the public Monday that human traffickers are now utilizing legitimate overseas employment documents as a cover to lure Filipinos into jobs that are actually part of scam operations abroad.

The warning follows the repatriation of four overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) on 17 October who were trafficked to Laos. The victims arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 from Don Mueang, Thailand, after seeking assistance from the Philippine Embassy in Vientiane.

The BI reported that the four workers were supposedly bound for Brunei but were rerouted through Thailand to Laos.

They were initially lured by online advertisements promising customer support jobs with a monthly salary of P47,000.

Upon reaching Laos, the victims said they were forced to work 15 hours daily without rest and perform unrelated tasks, such as maintaining social media accounts for online scams. One victim admitted to being coerced into illegal activities, while another confessed to being recruited by a former acquaintance via Facebook.

The BI’s investigation found that the workers received their legitimate Brunei work visas, employment contracts, Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar certificates and Overseas Employment Certificates only on the day of their departure.

“The recruiters allegedly used Brunei as a cover destination to be able to illegally transfer to another country,” the BI said.

Immigration commissioner Joel Viado called the case alarming, noting that the victims’ willingness to proceed despite knowing the irregularities highlights the recruiters’ manipulative tactics.

The identities of the recruiters have been reported to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking as the BI cited that one recruiter was reportedly arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation-International Airport Investigation Division.