An individual was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) after he was revealed as the recruiter of the group of Filipinos who were recently rescued and repatriated by the government from Myanmar.
The identity of the suspected illegal recruiter was discovered based on the interviews and sworn statements of 25 repatriated Filipinos who arrived in the country last May 10, 2026. The NAIA Task Force Against Trafficking (NAIATFAT) endorsed the repatriates to the NBI – International Airport Investigation Division (NBI-IAID) the next day following their arrival for proper investigation.
The repatriated passengers confirmed that the suspect acted as their recruiter, facilitator, maintainer, harborer, trafficker, and conduit in operating a scam hub in Myanmar. She offered overseas jobs with a promised monthly salary of around Fifty Thousand Pesos (P50,000) and other benefits to the complainants through Telegram and WhatsApp.
The illegal recruiter also coached the complainants to pretend either as tourists or legitimate overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to avoid immigration scrutiny. Once in Myanmar, they were transported to Myawaddy and forced to participate in fraudulent online scam operations targeting foreign nationals
The complainants told the NBI that their passports and travel documents were confiscated, subjected to intimidation, monetary penalties, and other coercive measures whenever they failed to meet imposed quotas.
The agency coordinated with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and confirmed that the suspect is neither licensed nor authorized to recruit and deploy workers for overseas employment. She was apprehended for violation of Republic Act No. 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003) and brought to the Office of the City Prosecutor of Pasay for inquest proceedings and later turned over to the NBI Detention Center in Muntinlupa City.