The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has created a special investigating team tasked to identify returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are victims of human trafficking.

In a statement, the CIDG said its probe team is composed of personnel from its Anti-Transnational Crime Unit and will be in charge of getting information from the returning OFWs from the Middle East amid the escalating tensions in the region.

“They will conduct interviews and screenings of returning OFWs to identify victims of trafficking in persons or illegal recruitment that may have led to their precarious situations abroad,” the statement read.

“The CIDG investigators are prepared to document testimonies and gather evidence against unscrupulous recruiters, ensuring that legal action is taken against those who exploited workers in conflict zones,” it added.

CIDG director Maj. Gen. Robert AA Morico II said the move is part of the efforts to provide critical support to the government’s ongoing efforts to bring back as many OFWs affected by the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

“The CIDG’s mobilization ensures that the government’s ‘whole-of-government’ response goes beyond transport and financial aid, providing a critical legal and investigative shield for arriving OFWs,” he said.

The probe team will provide investigative and detective assistance in the government’s Middle East repatriation efforts.

It was also tasked to work closely with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to streamline the delivery of government aid and legal services.

“The CIDG assures the public that it will relentlessly pursue and file criminal charges against illegal recruiters and human traffickers who placed OFWs in high-risk conflict zones under false pretenses,” the statement read.