A 28-year-old Filipino woman was stopped by border control officers on June 23 while attempting to fly from Manila to Hong Kong. Investigations revealed her real intention was suspected to be traveling to Cambodia to engage in illegal gambling activities similar to "POGO," not tourism.
According to a report released by the "Border Enforcement and Immigration Protection Group" (I-PROBES), the woman initially claimed her trip was for a "freestyle visit to Hong Kong Disneyland." However, discrepancies between her exit documents and verbal statements raised suspicions among immigration officers. Upon further questioning, she admitted to having contacted several recruiters claiming to be "Chinese" through Telegram, who promised a high salary and arranged for her to work in Cambodia.
According to her statement, the job described was "online gambling customer service," with an easy workload and a monthly salary of up to $1,000, outwardly claimed to be legal and legitimate by the company. Initially unaware of the details, she thought it was just a regular online job. However, further investigation by immigration officers revealed that the employment unit was suspected to be part of an illegal gambling industrial park in Cambodia, linked to crimes such as telecommunications fraud, illegal detention, and transnational human trafficking.
Norman Tansingco, the Director of the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, stated: "This case reflects a new trend in human trafficking. Criminal groups are using social media platforms to post fake high-paying jobs, targeting eager young job seekers, luring them abroad into high-risk and even illegal gambling operations."
The woman is now under the care of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), which is assisting with psychological assessments, legal support, and follow-up placement, and helping to identify the recruiters involved, especially the Chinese recruitment chain.
The officials emphasized that this incident also highlights the necessity of the Marcos administration's strategy to "strengthen border defenses." The main purpose of this strategy is to block human trafficking routes and prevent Filipino citizens from being exploited or illegally employed abroad.
The Bureau of Immigration also reminded the public to be vigilant and to carefully consider "high-paying overseas" opportunities recruited through communication software like Telegram and WhatsApp, as they often hide complex transnational criminal risks.
