The Bureau of Immigration (BI) uncovered a new trafficking scheme that involves victims being made to pose as missionaries on a church trip.
The discovery was made after immigration officers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 caught three women — aged 23, 25, and 50 — pretending to be Church Missionary members on April 1.
The BI’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) intercepted the group before they attempted to board a flight to Singapore, connecting to Thailand.
The alleged female trafficker and her victims claimed to be full-time church volunteers designated for a missionary mission in Thailand. However, discrepancies in their documents raised suspicion.
Upon questioning, the two victims confessed they were not part of a missionary group but licensed teachers recruited for illegal employment at a school in Thailand. They admitted they were recruited by the woman they were traveling with, who claimed to be the founder and head preacher of their congregation.
The duo also disclosed they had not yet been hired and were asked to prepare employment documents like their transcripts, in case the school decided to employ them.
Officers noted the female trafficker had recently traveled to Thailand. A check of her records showed she had previously left with another group of passengers, whom she claimed were also her church companions but had not returned to the Philippines.
“This case echoes the ‘Bitbit’ scheme, where a frequent traveler, acting as a courier, attempts to transport a group of passengers under false pretenses, while victims are unknowingly coerced into illegal work,” BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said.
