ZAMBOANGA CITY – Police swooped down on a boat before dawn Tuesday and rescued 25 mostly Muslim teenagers who were allegedly victims of human trafficking in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines, officials said.
Officials said the boat’s captain is currently being investigated to determine his role in the foiled trafficking of the victims. “Subject ship captain is now in the custody of the police and is being investigated,” said Insp. Dahlan Samuddin, a regional police spokesman.
He said at least three police units led by Senior Inspector Raul Mancenido were involved in the operations that led to the recovery of the victims at a private wharf in the seaside village of Baliwasan.
Samuddin gave no other details about the operation until the investigation is complete, but he said the boat was supposed to bring the victims to Turtle Island near Sabah in Malaysia.
He said the victims were recruited by a man who was only identified by his first name as Asbi, of Mampang village in Zamboanga City. Of the 25 victims, only two were adults – both age 22 – and the rest were between the ages of 12 and 19.
The victims were believed heading to Sabah to illegally work.
Illegal border crossing remains unabated in the southern Philippines due to lack of security patrol and unscrupulous operations of boat owners and the influx of Filipinos wanting to work without visa and travel documents to the oil-rich island of Sabah which is being claimed by the Sultanate of Sulu as theirs. (Mindanao Examiner)
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