MANILA— The Bureau of Immigration (BI) intercepted four Filipino passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Oct. 6 over suspected illegal recruitment for overseas employment in Myanmar.

The passengers were prevented from proceeding with their trip after immigration officers found inconsistencies in their travel declarations and supporting documents, raising suspicions that they could be potential victims of illegal recruitment and human trafficking.

The four, identified only as “Lin,” 27; “Tina,” 22; “Mela,” 25; and “Shelly,” 41, initially told immigration officers they were co-workers traveling to Thailand for a five-day, company-sponsored incentive trip.

During secondary inspection, however, they reportedly admitted that they did not work for the company they claimed to represent and were actually headed to Myanmar, where they had been offered customer service jobs paying between US$1,000 and US$1,500 monthly.

The passengers said they had been recruited through Facebook, Telegram, and other online platforms, with their recruiters allegedly supplying travel and employment documents.

Immigration officers also flagged questionable employment papers and inconsistencies in the passengers’ return-ticket arrangements.

Following the inspection, the four passengers were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance, further assessment, and appropriate interventions.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado praised the immigration officers for detecting the discrepancies and preventing the passengers from departing.

“Our airports must never become gateways for the exploitation of Filipinos. We will continue to scrutinize suspicious travel arrangements and stop potential victims before they fall into the hands of illegal recruiters and traffickers,” Viado said.

The operation forms part of the government’s continuing efforts under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to combat illegal recruitment and human trafficking and protect Filipinos from exploitation overseas.

The BI urged the public to verify overseas employment offers through legitimate channels and exercise caution when dealing with recruiters on social media and messaging applications.

The bureau also reminded travelers to provide truthful information and present authentic documents during immigration inspection.