8 Filipinos rescued in Myanmar human trafficking

MANILA, Philippines — Eight Filipino human trafficking victims have been rescued and repatriated from Myanmar.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the victims arrived at 5:25 a.m. yesterday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Among the eight Filipinos, four males were recruited online from Dubai to supposedly work as customer support representatives in Thailand. However, from Thailand, they were brought to Myanmar and forced to trick individuals into investing into cryptocurrency.

Four females were detained for allegedly entering Myanmar illegally from Thailand.

The DFA advised that the Myanmar-Thai Friendship Bridge, the border crossing closed for nearly three years, only reopened last January for the citizens of the two countries.

“Therefore, crossing by any other means (e.g., across the river) is illegal. Moreover, the legal entry points for foreigners, including Filipinos, are through Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw airports,” the DFA said.

The DFA reminded Filipinos both in the Philippines and abroad to be cautious of spurious jobs offered through social media and avoid falling victim to illegal recruitment and human trafficking schemes.

It is vital to pass through the legal deployment processes in the Philippines and arrive in their countries of destination not as tourists but with actual working visas.

The DFA thanked Myanmar authorities for the assistance provided in rescuing the Filipinos.