BI warns of new human trafficking scheme targeting Filipinos for Pakistan POGO work

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has issued a warning about a new human trafficking scheme targeting Filipino workers who are being lured to Pakistan for illegal work in online gaming hubs.

On July 6, four Filipinos were intercepted at Ninoy Aquino International Airport while attempting to depart for Hong Kong but admitted they were actually heading to Pakistan as cleaners and cooks; during secondary inspection, the victims revealed that a Chinese national recruiter had offered them monthly salaries ranging from P35,000 to P45,000.

BI Deputy Spokesperson Melvin Mabulac disclosed on ANC's Top Story that this is the first confirmed case involving Pakistan and that trafficking syndicates previously operating in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand are now shifting their routes to Pakistan.

Mabulac also revealed that one of the victims had worked at a POGO hub in the Philippines and was recruited by the same Chinese employer who has since relocated operations to Pakistan; he warned of counterfeit documents being used by traffickers.

The BI has referred the case to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) and is intensifying surveillance at non-airport exit points, as many repatriated victims never left through formal airport channels.