Immigration officer, 'illegal recruiter' charged with human trafficking -- NBI
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed criminal charges against an immigration officer assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and a suspected illegal recruiter for their attempt to traffic a Filipina to Saudi Arabia.
In a statement, the NBI said the charges were filed before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office against immigration officer John Rey Fadrogani and suspected illegal recruiter Abdullah Taher Asnawi.
They were charged with violation of Republic Act (RA) 9208, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, as amended. Asnawi was also charged with violation of RA 8042, the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995 as amended.
The NBI said that immigration officers at NAIA intercepted Asnawi and a 20-year-old Filipina last Oct. 1 before they could board their flight to Saudi Arabia.
It said that Fadrogani, who remained at large, was charged “for allowing, clearing, and facilitating the exit from the country of the victim without valid working permits or documents or complying with governmental requirements for the purpose of subjecting her to labor exploitation.”
It also said that Asnawi recruited the 20-year-old woman despite the violation of the age requirement to work in Saudi Arabia which requires woman workers to be at least 23 years old.
Asnawi and the Filipina were cleared for departure by Fadrogani but were later flagged down, it added.
The NBI said its investigators learned from the Licensing and Regulations Bureau of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) revealed that Asnawi is not licensed nor authorized to recruit workers for overseas employment.