Three Filipino men who claimed they were traveling to Thailand for a Muay Thai tournament were intercepted at Davao International Airport after immigration officers uncovered an alleged recruitment scheme involving military and border security jobs in Eastern Europe.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said the passengers were stopped after inconsistencies emerged during questioning about their travel plans.
The men, identified only as “Johnny,” 25 years old; “Berting,” 51 years old; and “Tappy,” 50 years old, initially told immigration officers they were heading to Thailand as participants or coaches in a Muay Thai competition.
However, further questioning revealed that they allegedly planned to travel onward to Eastern Europe, where they had been offered salaries of P200,000 a month to work as soldiers or border guards.
According to the BI, the men identified two individuals, known as “Alexander” and “Oleg,” who allegedly recruited them and covered their travel expenses. Some of the passengers reportedly connected with the recruiters through Facebook and Telegram.
The men also claimed that their electronic visas for Europe would be provided upon their arrival in Thailand.
One of the passengers disclosed that they were originally instructed to leave the Philippines through a supposed “backdoor” route in Zamboanga. Their departure arrangements were later changed to a flight from Davao.
The Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) at Davao International Airport reported the incident to Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado.
Following their interception, the three men were referred to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for further investigation into possible illegal recruitment and human trafficking.
Viado warned Filipinos against accepting overseas employment offers promising unusually high salaries without clear documentation or verified recruitment arrangements.
“Filipinos must be cautious of recruiters who promise high salaries but provide unclear employment arrangements or questionable travel plans. Before accepting any overseas job offer, they should verify the legitimacy of the employer and recruitment agency with the Department of Migrant Workers,” Viado said.
The commissioner added that the BI would continue coordinating with government agencies to prevent illegal recruitment and protect Filipinos from potential exploitation as part of government actions to safeguard Filipinos against illegal recruitment and human trafficking.