FOUR men said to be trafficking victims and who were attempting to illegally work in the beauty and spa industry in Qatar were rescued by Bureau of Immigrations ( BI ) officers at the Clark International Airport (CIA). According to immigration protection and border enforcement section (I-PROBES) chief Bienvenido Castillo III, the victims initially presented themselves as a group of friends going on a vacation in Singapore last August 21, but immigration officers noted conflicting statements and referred them for secondary inspection. All four were referred to the CIA inter-agency council against trafficking (IACAT) for further investigation.
In the subsequent interview, the victims admitted that they had been recruited by one of their companions, who promised them jobs as hairdressers and massage therapists in Qatar with a monthly salary of P15,000 to P25,000. Their male companion claimed that he himself was recruited by a Dubai-based recruiter and that he merely invited three other friends to join the scheme. Their recruiter, in exchange for arranging their employment, demanded P10,000 for processing their documents.
According to them, they were advised to present themselves as tourists to avoid detection, under the pretense of a vacation in Singapore. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco issued a stern warning to individuals considering evading immigration checks by disguising themselves as tourists. “Attempting to bypass immigration clearance through deceptive means is illeg.