Around 1,700 individuals were rescued from a massive illegal recruitment scheme after the arrest of a man accused of defrauding jobseekers with fake employment opportunities in Central Europe, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) reported Saturday.

The DMW reported that Mazhoor Ubongin Khusin, also known as Maz, was arrested on 20 July 2026 in Mexico, Pampanga, by operatives of the Quezon City Police District–Project 4 Police Station, pursuant to a warrant issued by the Regional Trial Court of Makati City, Branch 146, for illegal recruitment on a large scale.

Khusin allegedly served as an officer of ALJU International Manpower Services, Inc., a recruitment agency that had previously faced regulatory sanctions for misrepresenting employment opportunities, excessive placement fees, and failure to reimburse or refund affected applicants. The agency’s authority to recruit workers for overseas employment was eventually canceled.

Khusin's modus operandi was to offer jobs in Poland, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic as factory workers, farmers, and hotel workers, with promised salaries of up to P90,000 per month.

To secure these supposed opportunities, applicants were allegedly required to pay placement fees ranging from P80,000 to P130,000. The alleged scheme also used deceptive tactics to pressure applicants into handing over their money immediately.

“The arrest of this illegal recruiter marks a significant development in the cases filed in connection with the alleged recruitment scheme targeting our OFWs who simply want a better life for their families," DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said.

"indi natin titigilan ang mga illegal recruiters na ito at ang kanilang mga kasabwat na patuloy na nanloloko sa ating mga kababayan,” Cacdac added.

The DMW, meanwhile, reminds aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to exercise extreme caution when dealing with individuals who offer overseas jobs, especially those who demand substantial placement fees, promise unusually high salaries, or guarantee visas, permanent residency, or immediate deployment. NEIL ALCOBER