THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday admitted that the new human trafficking scheme being employed by syndicates is “a big security issue” that should be looked into with other law enforcement agencies.
Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco issued the statement, even as he urged airport authorities to look into the rising cases of attempted trafficking involving fake entry passes.
Tansingco said the victims were using fake airport access passes and pretend to be employees of various airport concessionaires to be able to gain access to boarding gates.
The immigration chief admitted that previous victims might have used the employees’ entrance to evade strict departure assessment to depart from the country to illegally work in countries, such as Myanmar.
The BI said airport security and police intercepted three victims carrying airport passes early this month.
Upon closer inspection by airport security, it was found out that their passes were counterfeit and that their passports and boarding passes contained counterfeit immigration stamps.
Aviation security personnel intercepted another female victim bound for Kuala Lumpur last November 16.
The victim presented a fake access pass and attempted to enter the airport through the employees’ entrance.
Her passport and boarding pass also contained fake stamps, which she said, were only given to her outside the airport premises.
In line with this, Tansingco said he has issued an order to BI Port Operations Division (POD) Chief lawyer Carlos Capulong to coordinate with the Manila International Airport Authorities (MIAA) to request a thorough investigation of the new modus.
“We are investigating several victims of a trafficking syndicate that entices our kababayans to work abroad as call center agents, only to be transported to a third country to work as online scammers,” Tansingco said.
“We are trying to see if these two cases are linked. This is already a big security issue, and we see the need to refer the matter for a thorough investigation, together with local law enforcement agencies and the MIAA,” he added.
No links with bi personnel
When asked if there are BI personnel also being probed for possible involvement in the new human trafficking scheme, BI spokesman Dana Krizia Sandoval answered: “Hearing the statement of the victims, it seemed like their departure was facilitated by someone from outside BI. Fake stamps were impressed on their passports, which were given to them outside airport premises.”
She added the BI would continue its probe to determine the extent of the operation of the syndicate.
“We will still be conducting further investigation as to the scale of this syndicate, but so far no links with BI personnel have been detected,” Sandoval added.
However, Department of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla is not discounting the possibility that some immigration personnel might also be involved.
“Very possible,” Remulla said when asked to comment on Senator Risa Hontiveros’ claim that a group of rogue immigration personnel is likely involved in a new human trafficking scheme.
In her privilege speech last Tuesday, Hontiveros disclosed that several overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who were promised jobs in Thailand were trafficked to Myanmar to become crypto scammers of a Chinese syndicate based in Shwe Kokko, a town in Kayin State of Myanmar.
She lamented that unscrupulous individuals continue to victimize OFWs even after the inquiries conducted by the Senate on “pastillas” scam and other human trafficking schemes.
Tansingco assured that strict departure procedures would be implemented to prevent human trafficking victims from leaving the country.