Immigration agents have arrested a woman who tried to bring to Malaysia eight undocumented Filipina workers disguised as tourists.
Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. yesterday said the woman and her victims were about to board a Zest Air flight to Kuala Lumpur last May 27 when they were intercepted by members of the bureau's travel control and enforcement unit at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 4.
The passengers' names were not divulged as the Anti-Human Trafficking Act prohibits the public disclosure of the names of human traffickers and their victims.
According to David, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) was already tipped off on an alleged plan of human trafficking syndicates to use the newly opened NAIA Terminal 4 at the old domestic airport as a venue for their operations.
"We have already alerted our people at the NAIA 4 to be extra vigilant and foil all attempts by these syndicates to use it as a venue for their nefarious activities," the BI chief said.
The eight women reportedly admitted during investigation they were hired by their courier, who is a resident of Malaysia, to work as maids and waitresses in Malaysia.
"They did not have the necessary work permits from the POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration), thus our immigration officers had to stop them from leaving," the BI chief said.
He added the female courier is already being investigated by the Inter-Agency Committee Against Trafficking for possible criminal prosecution.
The suspect is allegedly married to a Malaysian citizen and is the signatory to the letter of invitation presented by the victims purporting that they are either friends or relatives of the suspect.
They, however, aroused the suspicion of immigration officers for failing to present proof of their financial capacity or source of income and employment in the Philippines.