BI stops trafficking victim from boarding flight to Thailand

The Bureau of Immigration office (File photo by ALEXIS CORPUZ / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — A 29-year-old trafficking victim was apprehended by officers of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the BI said on Tuesday.

According to the BI, the victim, who was not named, tried to board a flight to Thailand on April 22, claiming that he was traveling as a tourist.

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The agency said that authorities noticed inconsistencies in his statements and that on secondary inspection, it was found that his ticket was fake. He said that he would be working illegally in an online gaming company in Chiang Rai, Thailand.

The victim said that a recruiter contacted him through Telegram, who promised him a monthly salary of $1,200 or around P69,000, while he paid P30,000 to get the job.

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BI immigration protection and border enforcement section chief Bienvenido Castillo III said that this scam was known as “catphishing,” where scammers say that victims can work in online gaming companies, but they instead work as scammers.

The scam was also prevalent in Asia, as some countries have reported in conferences, BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said.