BI reports 6 more Filipinos repatriated from Malaysia

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported the arrival of six more Filipinos on 24 October 2026, following police raids on their workplaces in Malaysia reportedly operating as online investment and customer service centers but were allegedly involved in online scamming activities.

BI Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section officers interviewed the six repatriates upon their arrival. They consisted of five men, aged 28 to 33, and a 37-year-old woman who had been working in Kuantan and Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

During interviews, all six reportedly disclosed that they had been recruited for customer service representative or call center agent positions, with promised monthly salaries ranging from US$1,000 to US$1,200.

However, instead of performing legitimate customer service work, they claimed they were made to engage in online gambling scams targeting unsuspecting individuals. Some said they never received the promised salaries, while others reported that their passports had been confiscated.

According to the repatriates, their recruitment began with attractive job advertisements posted on Facebook and Telegram job-hunting groups. They were subsequently contacted by individuals who facilitated their departure from the Philippines and their arrival in Malaysia. These facilitators were reportedly Filipino and Chinese or Malaysian nationals.

A review of BI records further revealed that most of the six had previously failed attempts to depart the country, while the others were first-time travelers. Some had no prior employment experience, while others had previously worked as call center agents in the Philippines.

Further investigation by I-PROBES revealed that five of the six repatriates had allegedly left the Philippines through the so-called “backdoor” route connecting Zamboanga and Tawi-Tawi to Sabah, Malaysia, bypassing regular immigration departure procedures.

The BI Anti-Fraud Section subsequently conducted forensic document examinations and determined that four of the returnees possessed genuine Philippine passports bearing counterfeit departure stamps.

The Bureau warned that traffickers have used the “backdoor” route to evade immigration inspection and facilitate the movement of Filipinos into potentially exploitative overseas employment arrangements. It also cautioned the public against using counterfeit immigration stamps and other fraudulent travel documents, which may expose those involved to legal consequences.

All six repatriates were turned over to the NAIA Task Force Against Trafficking for appropriate assistance and further investigation into their recruitment and the individuals who allegedly facilitated their travel.