2 nabbed for illegal recruitment in Pasay

MANILA, Philippines — Two suspected illegal recruiters were arrested by officers of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Pasay City yesterday.

Levy Mangino, 46, and Jeffrey Torres, 29, were caught in an entrapment operation in Kalayaan Village, Barangay 201 at around 12:10 p.m.

Superintendent Roque Merdegia, who heads the CIDG’s Anti-Transnational Crime Unit, said the suspects were apprehended after they received P20,000 in marked money from their victims.

The operation stemmed from the complaints of four people who claimed they lost approximately P150,000 in cash to the suspects.

“The suspects convinced them to work in Japan as factory workers,” said Merdegia in a text message.

Mangino and Torres asked for money as payment for visa, training and medical fees, assuring them they would leave for Japan in two months.

However, they became suspicious when the suspects gave excuses when no flight tickets for Japan came.

The victims filed a complaint before the CIDG when they found the suspects were not licensed with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to recruit overseas workers.

The suspects are facing charges of violation of Republic Act 8042 or the Migrant Workers Act and estafa.