EXECUTIVE Secretary and Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) chairman Lucas Bersamin has ordered authorities to thoroughly investigate, identify and bring to justice Philippine-based recruiters who have been duping Filipinos into working for an illegal syndicate in Myanmar following the rescue and repatriation of six victims.
Bersamin said the six Filipinos, composed of four females and two males, were recruited through social media to work as customer representatives in Thailand but were instead brought to Myawaddy in Myanmar where they were made to work in a love scam and cryptocurrency operations.
The six, whose names were withheld for security reasons, were “released’ after their families reportedly produced P300,000 as payment for their “freedom.”
They claimed the syndicate took their passports, personal items and other belongings and beat them up every day until their families were able to send the money for their release. They were also forced to work online while waiting their release.
The six arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 last May 11, through the coordinated efforts of the Office of the Police Attaché in Thailand led by Police Colonel Dominador Matalang, and the PAOC led by executive director Gilberto Cruz.