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Zambo cops nab two traffickers, rescue 130 victims


A total of 130 victims of human trafficking were rescued while two suspected traffickers were arrested in two separate operations in the Sulu Sea this week, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said Friday.
 
The Zamboanga Sea-Based Anti-Trafficking Task Force nabbed the suspects identified as Orlando Daniel and Benjin Bacaltos while they were transporting their supposed victims.

“Daniel was arrested at around 6:30 a.m. of July 3 while onboard ML Julmina bound for Sabah via Bakungan, Taganak Island in Tawi-Tawi,” PAOCC said in a statement.
 
“Authorities also intercepted 48 passengers believed to be potential victims of human trafficking,” it added, citing that the passengers were from Davao and Zamboanga provinces.
 
Meanwhile, the operatives caught Bacaltos on the same day around 6:30 p.m and in the process, rescued about 82 potential victims. “[They were] on board MV Mary Joy 3 and MV Ever Queen Emilia, bound for Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi via Jolo and Bongao routes in Sulu.”
 
Among the victims were three women and two minors who were “Muro-ami” or deep-sea divers, the PAOCC said.
 
The victims were recruited “to conduct deep sea fishing and fish drying production” in Sitangkai town in Tawi-tawi, the anti-organized crime group noted.
 
Daniel and Bacaltos were brought to PNP’s Regional Criminal and Detection Unit for questioning, while the supposed victims were taken a safe house for interview, counseling and debriefing.
 
Only last Tuesday, the Inter-agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) Secretariat under the Justice Department disclosed that 118 people have been convicted of human trafficking as of June 2013. — with Rouchelle R. Dinglasan/RSJ, GMA News
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