Immigration agents at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminal 2 and 3 recently intercepted seven undocumented overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who attempted to leave the country after pretending to be tourists.
According to BI Port Operations Acting Chief Grifton Medina, the suspects admitted that they disguised as tourists but they were supposed to work outside the country without proper documents.
The seven individuals were nabbed by the immigration officers after they went simultaneously with a woman in their alert list of suspected human traffickers who facilitates deployment of undocumented workers abroad.
The OFWs were bound for Hong Kong, Malta, and Turkey.
It was learned that the suspects gave a total amount of P500,000 to their handler for the processing of their travel documents and visas.
All seven suspects have been turned over to NAIA Task Force Against Trafficking in Person (NAIATFAT) to conduct further investigation.
“They were not allowed to leave after they admitted under questioning that they are not tourists but are actually going abroad to work,” said Medina.
(With reports from Bombo Jerald B. Ulep)
