Authorities arrested four suspects and shuttered two unlicensed recruitment agencies during separate operations in Cavite and Quezon City, the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced Wednesday.
The operations, conducted in coordination with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), targeted firms allegedly preying on Filipinos seeking employment in South Korea, Hong Kong, Qatar and Greece.
In Tanza, Cavite, police arrested a 43-year-old travel agency owner identified only as “Mario.” Investigators said the suspect was allegedly recruiting workers for hotel cleaning and laundry jobs in South Korea without DMW approval.
Applicants were promised monthly salaries of 2,200,000 Korean Won or approximately P92,000 in exchange for an P80,000 processing fee.
Mario was apprehended while allegedly collecting payment from an applicant.
In a separate sting in Cubao, Quezon City, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the DMW arrested three female employees identified as “Ann,” “Kris,” and “Tina.” The three were allegedly offering jobs in Hong Kong, Qatar, and Greece for a P35,000 fee despite the agency lacking the necessary government registration.