London-based recruiter faces 5th criminal rap

London-based recruiter Adel En Nouri, an Italian national, is facing his fifth criminal complaint in the Philippines, this time for alleged illegal recruitment and serious illegal detention.

The complaint, filed with the Bacoor City Prosecutor’s Office on 25 November 2025, also names co-accused Narwani Ricky Ravin, Khemlani Nisha Deepak, Prena Giani and recruiters Bueno Caesar Baldado and John Gabriel Siopongco. The three complainants — Maricar Evangelista, Karen V. Asuncion and Bryan Mercardo — allege they were held against their will for four days in a local office.

According to the affidavit, the victims were approached in January 2025 while working as promodisers at SM City Bacoor by individuals claiming to represent Tamber International Placement Agency. They were promised high-paying overseas jobs with free accommodation and introduced via video call to En Nouri and Ravin, who allegedly claimed connections to a European mall and a Singapore-based tailor.

The complainants said they each paid P30,000 of an P80,000 placement fee, but on 2 February 2025, they were allegedly threatened with firearms, had their phones confiscated, and were barred from leaving until the balance was paid.

En Nouri purportedly presented himself as a reputable recruiter, boasting ties to Harrod’s Mall in Europe and maintaining a website that projected a luxurious lifestyle and his “ethical brand.”

During the alleged detention, the three were introduced to Khemlani and Giani, who claimed to manage customer care and departure arrangements. The complainants said they were given only bread and water during the four days of confinement. They managed to escape on 7 February 2025, when their captors were attending to other clients.

A Department of Migrant Workers certification confirms that Tamber International Placement Agency is not licensed to recruit workers abroad — a key piece of evidence in the case.

This latest complaint adds to at least four previous charges filed against En Nouri across Cavite, Batangas, and other regions, covering human trafficking, illegal recruitment and serious illegal detention. Prosecutors are currently conducting a preliminary investigation.