The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday announced the arrest of four suspects for illegal recruitment and the closure of two unlicensed agencies operating in Tanza and Cubao.

In coordination with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the PNP said the first operation in Tanza, Cavite led to the arrest of a 43-year-old man identified as “Mario,” the owner of a travel agency allegedly recruiting workers for South Korea without DMW approval.

Authorities said applicants were promised jobs as hotel cleaners and laundry staff with salaries of 2.2 million Korean won, or about P92,000, in exchange for a P80,000 processing fee. The suspect was arrested while allegedly collecting payment from an applicant, and his agency was immediately shut down.

In a follow-up operation in Cubao, Quezon City, operatives from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the DMW arrested three female employees—identified only as “Ann,” “Kris,” and “Tina”—of a manpower agency. The suspects were allegedly offering overseas jobs in Hong Kong, Qatar, and Greece for a processing fee of P35,000, despite lacking the required registration and authority from the DMW. The agency was also ordered closed.

“These arrests and closures send a strong message: the PNP will not tolerate any illegal recruitment that exploits our kababayan, especially our overseas Filipino workers,” PNP chief Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. said.

“Ang ating layunin ay protektahan ang ating mga kababayan mula sa pandaraya at pang-aabuso. Hindi kami titigil sa ating laban sa ilegal na gawain, maging sa online man o sa pisikal na operasyon,” he added.

Nartatez said the joint operations conducted on January 26 and 30, 2026 form part of the PNP’s Enhanced Managing Police Operations (EMPO) under its focused agenda, which prioritizes protecting Filipinos from all forms of criminality, including online scams and human trafficking.

“The PNP remains committed to working hand in hand with the Department of Migrant Workers to dismantle fraudulent recruitment operations nationwide. Through EMPO, we ensure that every operation is carefully planned, focused, and delivers real results for the protection of every Filipino,” he said.

The PNP said the crackdown underscores its firm stance against unscrupulous recruiters who prey on Filipinos’ hopes for better opportunities abroad and its continued commitment to preventing exploitation and fraudulent overseas employment schemes.