BUREAU of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco said they are now more focused in investigations against human traffickers.

Tansingco stated the BI is keen on uncovering members of trafficking and illegal recruitment syndicates.

“We are in close coordination with the IACAT (Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking) in terms of investigating these syndicates,” said Tansingco.

He warned BI employees not to engage in illegal practices. “If we are able to confirm that we have employees involved in trafficking activities, then they will face the harshest penalties of the law,” he warned.

The BI earlier reported the interception of a trafficking victim posing as an employee of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla slammed escorting services at airports after the incident.

“We are working with the IACAT to look at how this syndicate runs. We have leads on big time traffickers so that they can be arrested and jailed,” he added.

Last October 6, BI officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 stopped six Filipino passengers, including four illegal recruitment victims and their two couriers, who attempted to leave the country disguised as tourists.

The victims attempted to board a Cebu Pacific flight to Bangkok enroute to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where they were supposedly hired to work as undocumented contract workers.

The victims were accompanied by their handlers, who reportedly handed them dubious employment documents to make it appear they are gainfully employed in a local company.

They also admitted during questioning they were recruited to work as waitresses in the UAE even as they denied being employees of the company that purportedly sponsored their trip.

It later turned out that one of their companions is the owner of the travel agency that facilitated their travel, including the spurious documents that were given to them.

The BI also reported another major interception last October 12 at the NAIA Terminal 3. A total of 17 victims attempted to travel to Hong Kong, in the guise of being employees of a trading corporation in the Philippines.

However, it was later confirmed that they did not know each other, and their documents were merely handed to them by an agency who instructed them to pose as officemates.

All victims were turned over to the IACAT for further investigation and filing of cases against their recruiters.