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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider BI says Filipina trafficking victim in Myanmar paid ransom

BI says Filipina trafficking victim in Myanmar paid ransom

Published Apr 8, 2023 06:29 am


A Filipina gained her freedom after paying "ransom" to her employer in Myanmar, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) disclosed Thursday. Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the victim arrived via a Philippine Airlines flight from Bangkok at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport iNAIA) last April 4. The BI chief said she was recruited through Facebook, and promised a monthly pay of $1,000 to work as customer service representative in Thailand. The victim was instructed to pose as a tourist during immigration inspections at the NAIA, and upon arrival in Bangkok her employer brought her to the adjacent country of Myanmar. The victim narrated she worked as a marketing scammer enticing Indian nationals to invest in an online platform “Pacific Mall”, where she was made to work for almost 16 hours without a day off and pay. For her release, the Filipina said she was compelled to find three other Filipinos as her replacement. The victim was then able to contact a friend in the Philippines who provided fake flight itineraries that would look like four people were coming to Thailand to replace her. Then the employer escorted her back to Thailand where she was able to seek help from the Philippine Embassy in Thailand.
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