BI warns against Russia-bound job offers; Filipino intercepted

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Sunday warned the public against suspicious overseas job offers linked to Russia after intercepting a Filipino who was allegedly recruited for a security-related job.

The 50-year-old Filipino man was intercepted at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport on Oct. 10 while attempting to leave for Vietnam.

The BI said the man disclosed that Russia was his intended work destination and that he had been recruited as a K9 handler.

He said the recruiter had contacted him through WhatsApp before arranging his travel documents.

The man was reportedly offered a monthly salary of US$3,500 with no upfront fees. However, he was instructed to pose as a tourist to conceal his intended employment, the BI said.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado urged the public to exercise caution when seeking overseas employment, particularly when recruiters ask applicants to misrepresent their purpose of travel or conceal their intended jobs from immigration authorities.

“Human trafficking can begin with what appears to be a legitimate job opportunity. Filipinos must remain alert to deceptive recruitment tactics and seek assistance from the proper authorities when an offer raises suspicion,” Viado said.

The BI advised aspiring overseas workers to verify job offers with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and ensure that they have the required documents and work authorization before departure.

South Korean wanted for illegal online gambling arrested

Meanwhile, the BI reported the arrest of a South Korean national wanted in his home country over alleged illegal gambling activities involving unauthorized online game servers operated in the Philippines.

The 41-year-old man was arrested on Oct. 13 in Barangay Western Bicutan, Taguig City.

The operation followed a request from the South Korean government for his deportation to face charges in his home country, the BI said. He is also reportedly the subject of an Interpol Red Notice.

According to information provided by the South Korean Embassy, the Busan District Court issued an arrest warrant against the man on Jan. 15, 2026, after he was charged with violating South Korea’s Game Industry Promotion Act.

South Korean authorities alleged that, beginning in January 2019, the man and his accomplices manipulated an interface adapter to operate three unauthorized online game servers in Angeles City, Pampanga. They allegedly generated illicit revenue by selling virtual currency from the games for cash.

The BI said its records showed that the man had overstayed in the Philippines, having not left the country since his arrival on July 26, 2018.

He had also been on the bureau’s blacklist since August 2019 as a fugitive from justice, it added.

The South Korean national is being held at the BI detention facility in Taguig City pending the finality of deportation proceedings against him.— MCG, GMA News

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