Human traffickers are now targeting young professionals by promising them with high-paying jobs abroad, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) disclosed on Wednesday, Feb. 15.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the rescue of eight professionals who were all forced to work in cryptocurrency racket in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia is proof of the syndicates' modus.
He said the latest victims were not the usual poor recruits of traffickers, but individuals with financial capacity to travel abroad, thus not subject to travel restrictions.
"This is a new form of human trafficking targeting professionals eager to explore work opportunities overseas," Tansingco said.
He advised young professionals to be more cautious and wary of jobs offered online.