2 Taiwanese nabbed for illegal recruitment

MANILA, Philippines — Two Taiwanese nationals were arrested yesterday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for alleged involvement in the illegal recruitment of Filipinos to work in online scam hubs abroad.

The suspects, You-De Zeng and Hou-Lin Pan, were nabbed in a joint operation led by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

Following the arrest, five Filipino workers recruited by the suspects for jobs in Cambodia were rescued.

The victims said they were promised employment as customer service representatives, with a salary of up to $1,000 per month.

Authorities, however, said the jobs were fictitious and part of cyberfraud operations.

“The arrest of these illegal recruiters and human traffickers is our firm message to protect Filipinos from exploitation,” Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac said. “We will not stop pursuing illegal recruiters who prey on the vulnerability of our people.”

Charges of illegal recruitment and human trafficking are set to be filed against the two Taiwanese, the DMW said.

Assistance will be given to the rescued workers who were recruited through social media and messaging platforms.

The DMW said the government would continue efforts to dismantle recruitment schemes linked to scam hubs abroad.