BI warns Pinoys vs new trafficking scheme to Pakistan

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) warned the public of an alleged new scheme involving Filipino victims being trafficked to Pakistan to work illegally in online gaming hubs.

According to the BI, immigration officials recently intercepted four Filipinos — one man and three women — at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) while attempting to depart for Hong Kong.

The victims initially claimed they were traveling for vacation but during secondary inspection, they admitted they were en route to Pakistan to work as cleaners and a cook at an online gaming compound.

The passengers said they were recruited by a Chinese national, who promised them monthly salaries ranging from ?35,000 to 45,000, and provided them with cash for their travel, and instructed them to pose as tourists until further arrangements were made.

“This is a deeply disturbing trend. We are now seeing victims being funneled to Pakistan for illegal online work — clearly a new scheme from the same criminal playbook tied to illegal POGOs,” BI Commissioner Joel Viado said in a press release. 

“This shows how traffickers are becoming more aggressive and deceptive,” Viado said. 

Viado added: “These people were promised jobs, but were told to lie about their purpose of travel and wait for further instructions overseas. This modus operandi reeks of exploitation and abuse”. 

The BI referred the findings to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for investigation.
—Sundy Locus/RF, GMA Integrated News