Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 7) — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Friday said three Africans were recently intercepted at the Mactan international airport for possibly being victims of an international human trafficking syndicate operating in the Philippines.
“It appears that these Africans were victimized by a trafficking syndicate that uses the Philippines as a transit point for smuggling illegal aliens to other countries,” BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a statement.
Tansingco said the passengers from Senegal, which included two minors and their mother, were intercepted on March 30 and were supposed to board a Korean Airlines flight to Seoul, the agency noted.
Upon inspection, authorities noticed that their passports did not have immigration arrival stamps, BI said. The victims claimed that they arrived in the Philippines onboard a boat, it added.
“The female Senegalese and her two children were turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Cebu for assistance, prior to their return to their originating port,” BI said.
