8 Filipino human trafficking victims in Myanmar arrive home

Eight Filipino human trafficking victims have been successfully repatriated from Myanmar, JP Soriano reported in Unang Balita on Monday.

The Filipinos arrived in the Philippines on Monday morning and were welcomed by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega and other officials, a separate Unang Balita report said.

The Filipino victims, four of whom were made to work as online scammers in crypto currency farms, were rescued by Myanmar authorities and the Philippine Embassy in Yangon.

Among the repatriates were four other Filipinos who were held in Myanmar after using an unauthorized route to enter the country.

The Filipinos said they were recruited to act as tourists in Thailand then illegally brought to Myanmar to work as online scammers.

The victims said they were abused and threatened if they refused to follow orders.

Myanmar authorities are currently conducting an investigation to unmask the persons behind the illegal activity.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) thanked Myanmar authorities for rescuing the Filipinos. —KBK, GMA Integrated News