ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Government security forces arrested four suspected recruiters and rescued at least 13 would be human trafficking victims during an operation Monday at the local wharf.
Senior Superintendent Angelito Casimiro, acting city police director, said the rescue operation came following a tip that 20 females, who were recruited from various parts of the country, were arriving in this city.
Casimiro said the joint rescue operation was launched by elements of the city police anti-vice led by Police Senior Inspector Gary Trumata Bahoy, Philippine Center for Transnational Crime-Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Council (PCTC-PAOCC), police Special Action Force (SAF), City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), police Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB), and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Casimiro said the victims were rescued inside the local wharf in this city about 8 a.m Monday while being prepared to board a passenger ferry bound for Sabah.
He said the 13 recruitment victims were promised to work in Malaysia and Lebanon.
Casimiro said the law enforcement agents also arrested four suspected recruiters and facilitators and identified as Olevia Abo Abo and Eulalia Francis Richards, both from Cebu City who were allegedly using Merco Recruitment Agency as front, while their facilitators in in this city were Luis Solano, a former marine and his wife, who are residents of Barangay Boalan this city.
Both couple denied they were illegal recruiters.
The operating forces also recovered from the victims and suspects several documents and pieces of evidence such as money transfers, tickets for the travel.
The victims were turned over to the custody of the CSWDO who will be assisting them to return to their places of origin.