5 nabbed for illegal recruitment

MANILA, Philippines — Five suspected illegal recruiters were arrested by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) yesterday.

Superintendent Roque Merdegia, who heads the CIDG’s Anti-Transnational Crime Unit (ATCU), said four of the suspects were arrested in an entrapment operation at around noon in Barangay Panapaan 3 in Bacoor City, Cavite.

Lio Eireen Labrado, Alexis Gleen Emas, Lorybel Nismal and Rachelle Nisperos, reportedly duped around 50 people of their hard-earned money in exchange for fake jobs in Japan.

Merdegia said the victims shelled out at least P15,000 each in tuition at the suspects’ language tutorial center after the suspects promised them jobs as welders and farm workers in Japan once they finish their language courses.

“The suspects have been operating since last year,” he said in a text message.

There were no job offers and the victims later learned from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration the suspects are not licensed recruiters.

The suspects were placed under arrest after they received P50,000 in marked money.

Meanwhile, another illegal recruiter was arrested at around 1 p.m. at the parking lot of a mall on North EDSA in Quezon City.

Merdegia identified the suspect as Lanie Barroga, who allegedly stole around P35,000 each from 20 people in exchange for nonexistent jobs in New Zealand and Macau.

The suspects are facing charges of illegal recruitment and syndicated estafa.