5 Potential Human Trafficking Victims Rescued in Zamboanga City

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Five potential victims of human trafficking were rescued from a boarding house here on Thursday, September 12.

CENTER Zamboanga City

Authorities arrested a suspected human trafficker, identified as Regie Dando from Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Dando is said to have promised the victims, a man and four women, work in Laos.

The group wanted to travel to their destination via Tawi-Tawi, which is seen as the southern back gate.

However, authorities got wind of the plan and rescued the victims.

The suspect is charged with violation of Republic Act 9208, as amended by Republic Act 10364, the Expanded Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012.

The operation was jointly conducted by officials and personnel from the Women and Children Protection Center-Mindanao Field Unit, Zamboanga City Police Intelligence Unit, Central Police Station, DSWD-9, Philippine Coast Guard-Southwestern Mindanao, NISG-WM, Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Trafficking 9, Regional Anti-Trafficking Task Force 9, Zamboanga Sea-Based Anti-Trafficking Task Force 9, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and Philippine Center on Transnational Crime.