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ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/08 August) – Four suspected illegal recruiters were charged Tuesday for violation of Republic Act 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Person Act of 2012, a police official said Thursday.
Senior Supt. Angelito Casimiro, Zamboanga City police officer-in-charge, identified the respondents as Olivia Abo-Abo, Eulalia Richards, Luis Solano, and his wife, Marilyn.
Casimiro said the suspects were arrested on Monday by the multi-agency Sea-based Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force that rescued 14 would-be victims of human trafficking at the local port.
He said the 14 victims were all women with ages ranging from 20 to 44, and came from the provinces of Antique, Cagayan Valley, Batangas, Davao del Norte and Davao del Sur, and from the cities of Las Piñas, Makati, Quezon and Zamboanga.
He said the women were recruited to work in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan.
They were rescued while about to board a commercial ferry bound for Malaysia via Sandakan, Sabah.
From Sabah, the victims would have flown to their supposed destinations.
Casimiro said the victims were placed under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. (MindaNews)