AMID concerns over unabated growing incidents of human trafficking in Southeast Asia including The Philippines, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) continue to partner to aggressively address the problem thru intelligence-driven operations similar to what they did in the recent operation in Bamban, Tarlac, the Journal Group learned.

Human trafficking particularly those involving illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) operations has long been a problem in the country where some moneyed people have set up clandestine companies where employees recruited from Asian countries secretly work 24/7 due to factors such as poverty and corruption which feed the human trafficking machine.

In the recent POGO raid in Tarlac, PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert DC Cruz said they have closely partnered with the PNP led by General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. to bust the illegal activities in the sprawling compound and help increase the trust and confidence of other countries in the Philippine government’s capability to address trafficking in persons in particular.

The PNP has also recommended that all structural and financial properties recovered during the raid be forfeited in favor of the government which was also lauded by other Asian law enforcement leaders to effectively shutting down the Zun Yuan Technology, Inc. located in Sitio Pagasa in Barangay Anupul in Bamban municipality last March 13.

The establishment was placed under surveillance after one of its former employees-a Vietnamese woman-escaped from the compound and sought the assistance of the PAOCC and the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in looking into her and her co-workers’ ordeal.

The woman claimed she applied as a Chat Support Agent for the company’s online gaming business but was surprised and dismayed when she was forced to do acts which were not included in her job description.

She told investigators she and her co-workers were forced to fraudulently portray themselves as wealthy models in order to entice clients to invest in fraudulent trading platforms being operated by the company.

The complainant said they were left with no choice but to continue working for the company since they have signed their contracts which would give them high monthly salaries. She also said they were guarded by Chinese nationals who were armed with guns inside the company.

A record check showed that the Zun Yuan Technology Inc. conduct their online fraudulent activities by luring targets from the United States, Canada and other countries using female models appearing in their video chat rooms, said CIDG National Capital Region Field Unit chief, Colonel George B. Buyacao Jr.

The raided company employees chat with their prospective victims via Instagram, Facebook, Telegram and other social media applications, the official said. Future employees are all promised free airline tickets, visa and medical treatment in the country.

However, once they arrive in Manila, they are brought to other locations and required to do work not covered by their formal contract and worst, are forced to perform fraudulent acts with their passports confiscated to prevent them from easily leaving.

Last March 1, the Royal Malaysian Police Attache in Manila requested the PAOCC and the PNP-CIDG’s assistance in rescuing a group of Malaysians believed to have been recruited by the company.

The ensuing surveillance operation triggered the application of a search warrant for violation of Republic Act 9208 as amended by RA 10364 or the anti-human trafficking act and Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code otherwise known as serious illegal detention. The warrant was issued by Judge Hermenegildo Dumao II of the Malolos City Regional Trial Court Branch 81.

The main targets of the raid were identified as Chen Yongiun, Zhiyang Huan alias ‘Zhie Yang,’ Yu Zheng Can, Gheng Hong alias ‘Mauy,’ Yang Xin alias ‘DAfie,’ Zhu Zan/Shan, one alias ‘Yang Bin,’ an alias Summer, one ‘Kiwi,’ ‘Gogo,’ Yoyo,’ Qi, Jign Yu, Lao Ding and an alias ‘Big Cow,’ all said to be main personalities behind the operations of the company.

The operation was ‘top secret’ and only few officials knew of it beforehand.

Undersecretary Cruz and Gen. Acorda thru PNP The Chief Directorial Staff, Lieutenant Gen. Jon A. Arnaldo also ordered the immediate service of the search warrants last March 13 to rescue the Malaysian nationals.

The operation saw officers from PAOCC, PNP-CIDG, Women and Children Protection Center, Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group, Intelligence Group, Anti-Cybercrime Group, Police Regional Office 1 and Cordillera Police Regional Office searching all 36 buildings inside the Bamban compound.

During the operation, officers detained Chinese national Lang Xu Po alias ‘Ah Xun’ after he was identified by a complainant as the company administrator. The complainant also accused the man as having subjected her to physical, mental and psychological torture during her stay in the compound.

The native of Nei Meng Gu, China is facing a string of criminal charges.

A Malaysian national rescued during the operation also identified three other Chinese nationals namely Wuli Dong, Wang Weili and Nong Ding Chang as the persons who provided her and her fellows with WeChat and QQ apps accounts and/or profile for scamming people abroad.

The Vietnamese woman identified Ma The Pong, Shicong Zhang alias ‘Olaf’ and Huang Yue Hai as among their abusers. The three along with another Malaysian identified as Walter Wong Long, tagged as the company manager and a Filipina employee were also slapped with similar criminal cases.

Another accused identified as Taiwanese national Chang Chia Wei was also arrested as a result of the Tarlac raid.

Overall, the Bamban operation led to the identification of 283 foreign nationals who are facing cases for being undocumented aliens and are subject for immediate deportation.

They include 204 Chinese nationals, 14 Malaysians and 53 Vietnamese. The rest are from Rwanda, Kyrgistan and Indonesia.