Swede falls in anti-human trafficking operation

CEBU, Philippines - A Swedish national was arrested and two minors, aged 14 and 15, were rescued in an anti-human trafficking operation in Talisay City past 12 midnight yesterday.

The joint operation of the Anti-Cybercrime Group-7, led by Sr. Insp. Michael Vertudazo, and the Talisay City Police Station, led by Supt. Resty Santos, resulted to the arrest of Christer Johansson, 60.

Operatives were armed with a search warrant for RA 10364 or Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Macaundas Hadjirasul.

Seized during the operation were laptops, a cellular phone, external drives and other digital evidence, which are believed to contain lewd photos of minors. These were taken into custody by the Anti-Cybercrime Group-7 office.

It was the Talisay City police that monitored the illegal activities of Johansson. They decided to coordinate with the ACG when they carried out the operation at 12:45 a.m. last Sunday.

Vertudazo told The FREEMAN that Johansson was believed to be under the influence of liquor when they arrived at his rented apartment in Barangay Dumlog, Talisay City.

“Ang mga bata diha sa sulod unya murag nanagan sa taas... sige pa mi ug panuktok kay dugay man giablihan until na-convince namo siya nga ablihan ang pultahan,” Vertudazo said in a phone interview, adding that Johansson did not resist the arrest.

The two minors who were rescued during the operation were brought to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-7 for debriefing.

Vertudazo said that Johansson would usually pay street children to clean his apartment and to buy liquor for him.

“Iyang papaliton og mainom hangtud maabot ang time nga iyang picturan,” Vertudazo said.

He added that during the surveillance, they came across a 12-year-old victim of the Swedish national who admitted that she was molested and was given money after by Johansson.

The foreigner, however, denied the allegations saying the “the police are full of lies.” He said he was just eating with the girls in his house and he was not doing something illegal.

He claimed that he has been in the Philippines for only six months but Vertudazo debunked this by showing the foreigner’s passport which showed that Johansson first came to the Philippines in 2007 and has been in and out of the country since then.

Johansson is detained at the Talisay City Police Station. Aside from violations of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, authorities will also be filing child abuse violations against him.  (FREEMAN)